Best Green Bay Packers player to wear No. 98 was a regular starter for just one year

Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.

We're obviously extremely close to reaching the end of our long journey, and our penultimate entry here at No. 98 highlights a player who wasn't with the franchise very long and was only a regular starter for one season but did his job well and got himself a Super Bowl ring.

But before we break all of that down, let's first have a look at every player who's worn No. 98 for the Green & Gold over the years.

Abdullah Anderson, DE
Fadol Brown, DE
Tony DeLuca, DT
James Ester, DT
David Grant, DE
Letroy Guion, DT
Javon Hargrave, DT
Damon Harrison, DT
Billy Lyon, DT/DE
Alfred Malone, DE
Brent Moore, LB
Chris Odom, DE
Alfred Oglesby, DT
Kenny Peterson, DT/DE
Esera Tuaolo, DT
Gabe Wilkins, DE/DT
C.J. Wilson, DE

From an overall standpoint, with all due respect to every player on it, this list certainly isn't the strongest, which is why the runner-up slot here goes to defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings before spending the final three with Green Bay from 2014 to 2016, tallying 83 total tackles and 3.5 sacks while wearing a Packers uniform.

So, with Guion in the second slot, the overall honor here at No. 98 goes to Gabe Wilkins.

Gabe Wilkins was a versatile defensive lineman who played four seasons with the Green Bay Packers

Despite spending his collegiate career at the NAIA level at Gardner-Webb, where he set the school record for sacks and helped the Runnin' Bulldogs to its first-ever appearance in the NAIA Championship Game, Wilkins was still taken by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 1994 NFL Draft with the 126th overall selection.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pounder served in a reserve role at defensive end behind the legendary Reggie White as a rookie, and while he only made four total tackles during that '94 campaign, one of them was a sack. In his second season, he displayed his versatility by starting eight games at defensive tackle, amassing 15 total tackles and 3.0 sacks.

Wilkins returned to his reserve role at defensive end in 1996, tallying 19 total tackles and another 3.0 sacks, and in the Packers' Super Bowl 31 victory over the New England Patriots, he contributed with one tackle.

With Sean Jones retiring ahead of the 1997 seasons, Wilkins took over his starting spot at right defensive end and enjoyed the best year of his career, recording 50 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and an interception, which he returned 77 yards for a touchdown, even hurdling over Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer in the process.

Green Bay returned to the Super Bowl that season, which they lost to the Denver Broncos, but Wilkins didn't get much of a chance to make an impact, as his night ended early after he suffered a sprained left knee midway through the first quarter.

That Super Bowl turned out to be his final game for Green Bay, as he signed a lucrative five-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers, although he played just two of those seasons, as injuries took their toll and effectively forced him into retirement in 2000.

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

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

Gabe Wilkins was a versatile defensive lineman who played four seasons with the Green Bay Packers

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

Schedule