Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
Well, we've come to one of those entries here at No. 86 where we hate to have to pick a winner. But if you've been following the series, you know that the one big rule I had coming into this venture was that I would not, under any circumstance, have a tie.
So, without further ado, let's go ahead and get into it by first looking at everyone who's worn No. 86 for the Green & Gold over the years.
- Kennard Backman, TE
- Brandon Bostick, TE
- Emanuel Byrd, TE
- Mike Donohoe, TE
- Boyd Dowler, WR
- John FitzPatrick, TE
- Antonio Freeman, WR
- Kent Gaydos, WR
- Jessie Green, WR
- John Hilton, TE
- Billy Howton, E
- Chris Jackson, WR
- Pete Lammons, TE
- Donald Lee, TE
- J.J. Moses, KR/WR
- Mark Redman, TE
- Bill Schroll, G
- Don Summers, TE
- Malik Taylor, WR
- Ed West, TE
Again, we hate to have to do this, but the runner-up slot here goes to Antonio Freeman, who spent eight solid seasons in Green Bay and was one of Brett Favre's favorite targets.
A third-round pick in the 1995 draft out of Virginia Tech, the Maryland native had three 1,000-yard seasons in Titletown, his best coming in 1998 when he caught 84 passes for a league-leading 1,424 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns en route to earning his lone trip to the Pro Bowl and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
In his eight seasons in Titletown, Freeman amassed 431 receptions, which currently stand as the ninth-most in team history, for 6,651 yards, good for the eighth-most in team history, and his 57 receiving touchdowns are good for the sixth-most in team history.
In most entries, that'd easily be enough to take the title, but the honor here at No. 86 instead goes to Boyd Dowler.
Boyd Dowler scored two touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers in the famous "Ice Bowl"
A two-time All-Big Eight selection at the University of Colorado, Dowler was taken in the third round of the 1959 NFL Draft with the 25th overall selection, thus making him one of the first picks made by Vince Lombardi, who'd joined the organization just a few months earlier.
The Wyoming native wasted little time making an impact in Green Bay, taking Rookie of the Year honors after catching 32 passes for 549 yards and four touchdowns. He took on double duty in the three seasons that followed, campaigns that resulted in three appearances in the NFL Championship Game and two championships, continuing to be one of the team's top wideouts but also serving as the punter, averaging a very respectable 43 yards per kick.
The Packers obviously continued to be one of the top teams in the league as the '60s progressed, winning three consecutive NFL Championships from 1965 to 1967, with the last two earning them the right to represent the league in the first two editions of what is now known as the Super Bowl. And Dowler certainly played a part in that success, as he earned Pro Bowl selections in both '65 and '67.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder was especially great to close out the 1967 campaign. First, in the NFL Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, which, of course, was the famed "Ice Bowl," Dowler scored the first two touchdowns of the game, first catching a 4-yard pass from Bart Starr in the opening quarter and then following up with a 46-yarder in the second quarter.
The Packers went on to take a 21-17 victory, and two weeks later in Green Bay's 33-14 win over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 2, he caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from Starr. So, he certainly showed up when it mattered most.
Dowler, who went on to enjoy a 30-plus-year run as an assistant coach and scout, ultimately played 11 seasons in Titletown and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1978. He currently ranks seventh in Green Bay history in both receptions (448) and receiving yards (6,918), and his 40 touchdowns are good for 13th.
Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees
- No. 0: There's literally only one choice here
- No. 1: Micah Parsons isn't the pick just yet
- No. 2: The Packers' all-time leading scorer
- No. 3: The second player in franchise history to have his jersey retired
- No. 4: There's no introduction needed here
- No. 5: This player should have been the last to wear the number but wasn't
- No. 6: A genuine ironman
- No. 7: This player was straight magic (until he wasn't)
- No. 8: This player has the second-most points in Packers history
- No. 9: The winner here has an extremely famous relative
- No. 10: A star on the rise
- No. 11: Packers' first title-winning QB
- No. 12: Obviously isn't up for debate
- No. 13: Had 'no weakness'
- No. 14: The first to have his jersey retired by the Packers
- No. 15: Owns a special piece of NFL history
- No. 16: Shares his name with an MLB legend
- No. 17: Had to beat out several Hall of Famers
- No. 18: Was one of the NFL's first dual-threat quarterbacks
- No. 19: Had his career cut short by the Bears
- No. 20: Has held a record for nearly 100 years
- No. 21: Has the most defensive TDs in NFL history
- No. 22: Also served in the U.S. Congress
- No. 23: Holds several NFL kick-return records
- No. 24: Owns a unique piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 25: Might not be who you think
- No. 26: Holds a historic place in NFL history
- No. 27: Started hot but fizzled fast
- No. 28: A good defender on some bad teams
- No. 29: Still holds an unofficial team record
- No. 30: It's not the one who's the Packers' all-time leading rusher
- No. 31: Had his jersey retired by another team
- No. 32: Is a member of another team's Ring of Honor
- No. 33: Did so much more than people may realize
- No. 34: An underrated dual-threat back
- No. 35: Gave the Packers a unique win over the Bears
- No. 36: Invented the Lambeau Leap
- No. 37: Suited up for the Packers at the wrong time
- No. 38: Left the Packers as the NFL's all-time passing leader
- No. 39: Was taken in three different MLB drafts
- No. 40: The only man in both the Baseball and Pro Football Hall of Fame
- No. 41: Made a big impact in a little time
- No. 42: Was the charter member of an elite club
- No. 43: Inadvertently created a new play
- No. 44: Made the Hall of Fame despite only having one eye
- No. 45: Left the NFL with the most TDs in history
- No. 46: Was underappreciated in the Lombardi era
- No. 47: Later played on the PGA Tour
- No. 48: Just missed out on the Lombardi era
- No. 49: Was one of the best O-linemen of his era
- No. 50: The Packers' all-time leading tackler
- No. 51: Is a member of three Halls of Fame
- No. 52: Is a member of a royal NFL family
- No. 53: Didn't miss a single game for a decade
- No. 54: Was 'The Rock' way before Dwayne Johnson
- No. 55: Had a solid career after going undrafted
- No. 56: Was a steady presence during the 2000s
- No. 57: Put on a gutsy Super Bowl performance
- No. 58: Kicked off the Packers' greatest draft class
- No. 59: Received a special Hall of Fame honor
- No. 60: Was involved in two famous trades
- No. 61: Was a reliable specialist for a decade
- No. 62: Put on the ultimate show of toughness
- No. 63: Was the first in NFL history to win six titles
- No. 64: Had an absurd amount of surgeries
- No. 65: Proved to be a seventh-round steal
- No. 66: Wildly wanted to play for the Bears
- No. 67: Once got a shoutout from John Madden
- No. 68: Nearly gave up football
- No. 69: Achieved a feat not seen in 50-plus years
- No. 70: Was a reliable blocker for Aaron Rodgers
- No. 71: Was Vince Lombardi's first defensive captain
- No. 72: Knows he didn't get the credit he deserved
- No. 73: Made a little NFL draft history
- No. 74: Made Vince Lombardi look like a genius
- No. 75: Was Vince Lombardi's most decorated star
- No. 76: Was the reason for an NFL rule change
- No. 77: Did the dirty work so others could shine
- No. 78: Made a Pro Bowl shortly after being shot
- No. 79: Spent 44 years in Titletown
- No. 80: Holds a special spot in the Hall of Fame
- No. 81: Owns a special place in Super Bowl history
- No. 82: Holds a unique place in the Lombardi era
- No. 83: Indirectly helped the team land a legend
- No. 84: Was forced to retire in his prime
- No. 85: Scored the first TD in Super Bowl history
This list will be updated daily until all 100 entries are complete, so be sure to check back in with Lombardi Ave for updates.
Add us as a preferred source on Google