Greatest Players Who Wore the NFL Jersey 22

Who Wore It Best? Unpacking the Legendary History of NFL Jersey Number 22

The number 22 represents football royalty, worn by an incredible collection of Hall of Fame legends spanning nearly every era and position. When you think of No. 22, does your mind immediately jump to Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and a cornerstone of the Cowboys dynasty? Or perhaps the lockdown coverage and flair of cornerback Mike Haynes? Maybe the leadership of quarterback Bobby Layne, or the interception prowess of safety Paul Krause? This jersey has been a badge of honor for running backs, quarterbacks, and defensive backs alike. We dive into the careers of these iconic athletes and more to determine which superstar truly dominates the legacy of the No. 22 jersey.

List of Number 22 NFL legends

The following list provides football career bios for players who have worn the number 22:

Emmitt Smith

The NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 career yards and all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (164), Smith was a three-time Super Bowl champion and a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Running Back – Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002), Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004) – 5× All-Pro (4× First-team, 1× Second-team) and 8× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1990–2004 seasons.

Paul Krause

A Pro Football Hall of Fame safety, he holds the NFL record for career interceptions with 81, a record he achieved during his 16-year career with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.

Safety – Washington Redskins (1964–1967), Minnesota Vikings (1968–1979) – 6× All-Pro (3× First-team, 3× Second-team) and 8× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during part of his career with Minnesota (also wore No. 26 with Washington).

Mike Haynes

Widely recognized as one of the NFL’s greatest defensive backs, this Pro Football Hall of Famer was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and won Super Bowl XVIII with the Los Angeles Raiders.

Cornerback – New England Patriots (1976–1982), Los Angeles Raiders (1983–1989) – 3× First-team All-Pro and 9× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1983–1989 seasons with the Raiders (wore No. 40 with New England).

Roger Wehrli

A Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback who spent his entire 14-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, he was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a member of the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.

Cornerback – St. Louis Cardinals (1969–1982) – 3× All-Pro (1× First-team, 2× Second-team) and 7× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1969–1982 seasons.

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Bobby Layne

A Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, he led the Detroit Lions to three NFL Championships in the 1950s and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

Quarterback / Kicker – Chicago Bears (1948), New York Bulldogs (1949), Detroit Lions (1950–1958), Pittsburgh Steelers (1958–1962) – 2× First-team All-Pro and 6× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1948–1952 and 1954–1962 seasons (wore No. 82 in 1953 with Detroit).

Bob Hayes

Nicknamed “Bullet Bob,” this Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver is the only athlete to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring (VI with the Dallas Cowboys).

Wide Receiver – Dallas Cowboys (1965–1974), San Francisco 49ers (1975) – 3× All-Pro (2× First-team, 1× Second-team) and 3× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1965–1975 seasons.

Mike Michalske

A towering figure in early gridiron history, Mike Michalske was a legendary guard who first made his mark playing college football at Penn State. He launched his professional career with the New York Yankees (1926–1928) before cementing his legacy with the Green Bay Packers (1929–1935, 1937), where he won three consecutive NFL championships. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964 and named to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team, “Iron Mike” notably wore jersey number 22 during the 1927 and 1928 NFL seasons with the Yankees.

George Blanda

A Hall of Fame quarterback and placekicker, he played an incredible 26 professional seasons and retired holding the all-time scoring record with 2,002 points.

Quarterback / Kicker – Chicago Bears (1949–1958), Baltimore Colts (1950), Houston Oilers (1960–1966), Oakland Raiders (1967–1975) – 1× First-team All-Pro and 4× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1949–1952 seasons with the Chicago Bears (also wore numbers 64 and 16 elsewhere).

Dave Brown

A Super Bowl X champion and College Football Hall of Fame cornerback, he retired tied for tenth in NFL history with 62 career interceptions, 50 of which remain a Seattle Seahawks franchise record.

Cornerback – Pittsburgh Steelers (1975), Seattle Seahawks (1976–1986), Green Bay Packers (1987–1989) – 2× Second-team All-Pro and 1× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 1976–1989 seasons with Seattle and Green Bay.

Asante Samuel

A four-time Pro Bowl cornerback and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, he led the NFL in interceptions twice (2006, 2009) and finished his career with 51 total interceptions.

Cornerback – New England Patriots (2003–2007), Philadelphia Eagles (2008–2011), Atlanta Falcons (2012–2013) – 2× All-Pro (1× First-team, 1× Second-team) and 4× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 2003–2013 seasons.

Derrick Henry

A Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, this two-time NFL rushing leader was the 2020 AP Offensive Player of the Year and is known as one of the most dominant power backs of his era.

Running Back – Tennessee Titans (2016–2023), Baltimore Ravens (2024–present) – 4× All-Pro (1× First-team, 3× Second-team) and 5× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during the 2016–2026 seasons.

Christian McCaffrey

The 2023 AP Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time First-team All-Pro, he is one of only three players in NFL history to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.

Running Back – Carolina Panthers (2017–2022), San Francisco 49ers (2022–present) – 4× All-Pro (3× First-team, 1× Second-team) and 4× Pro Bowl selections – Wore number 22 during his time with the Carolina Panthers (2017–2022) (switched to No. 23 upon joining the 49ers).

Jimmy Smith (Cornerback)

A first-round pick who spent his entire 11-season career with the Baltimore Ravens, he was a key defensive back on their Super Bowl XLVII championship team.

Wide Receiver – Dallas Cowboys (1992–1993), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–2005) – 5 Pro Bowls and 2 Second-team All-Pro selections – Wore number 22 during the 1995 season.

Ed Reed

A Pro Football Hall of Fame safety and Super Bowl XLVII champion, he holds the NFL record for most career interception return yards (1,590) and was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection.

Safety – Baltimore Ravens (2002–2012), Houston Texans (2013), New York Jets (2013) – 9 Pro Bowls, 5 First-team All-Pro, and 3 Second-team All-Pro selections – Wore number 22 during the 2013 season (with Houston and the Jets).

Matt Forte

A two-time Pro Bowl running back for the Chicago Bears, he is one of only three players in NFL history to record at least 1,000 rushing yards and 100 receptions in a single season.

Running Back – Chicago Bears (2008–2015), New York Jets (2016–2017) – 2 Pro Bowls – Wore number 22 throughout his entire NFL career (2008–2017).

Frank Gatski

A Pro Football Hall of Fame center, he played on a remarkable eight championship teams with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, never missing a game or practice in his career.

Center / Linebacker – Cleveland Browns (AAFC/NFL) (1946–1956), Detroit Lions (1957) – 1 Pro Bowl and 4 All-Pro selections (3 First-team, 1 Second-team) – Wore number 22 during portions of his career with the Cleveland Browns in the 1940s/1950s.

Ty Law

A Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and three-time Super Bowl champion, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and set the Patriots’ franchise record for career interceptions (36).

Cornerback – New England Patriots (1995–2004), New York Jets (2005, 2008), Kansas City Chiefs (2006–2007), Denver Broncos (2009) – 5 Pro Bowls and 2 First-team All-Pro selections – Wore number 22 during the 2005 season with the New York Jets.

Harrison Smith

Safety – Minnesota Vikings (2012–present) – Selected to 6 Pro Bowls and 1 First-team All-Pro – Wore number 22 during his entire NFL career (2012 through present / through the 2025 season).

More Top Players Who Wore Number 22

Clarence Scott

Cornerback / Safety – Cleveland Browns (1971–1983) – 1 Pro Bowl and 1 Second-team All-Pro selection – Wore number 22 throughout his entire NFL career (1971–1983).

James Lofton

Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers (1978–1986), Los Angeles Raiders (1987–1988), Buffalo Bills (1989–1992), Los Angeles Rams (1993), Philadelphia Eagles (1993) – 8 Pro Bowls and 4 All-Pro selections (2 First-team, 2 Second-team) – Wore number 22 during the 1993 season split between the Rams and Eagles.

Gill Byrd

Cornerback – San Diego Chargers (1983–1993) – 4 Pro Bowls (1987, 1989, 1991, 1992) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 1983–1993

Doug Martin

Running Back – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012–2017), Oakland Raiders (2018) – 2 Pro Bowls (2012, 2015), 1 First-team All-Pro (2015) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 2012–2017

Nate Clements

Cornerback – Buffalo Bills (2001–2006), San Francisco 49ers (2007–2010), Cincinnati Bengals (2011–2012) – 1 Pro Bowl (2004) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 2001–2012

Mark Lee

Cornerback – Green Bay Packers (1980–1990), San Francisco 49ers (1991), New Orleans Saints (1991) – None (0 selections) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 1980–1990

Fred Jackson

Running Back – Buffalo Bills (2006–2014), Seattle Seahawks (2015) – None (0 selections) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 2015 (wore 22 with Seattle; wore 23 with Buffalo)

Carlos Rogers

Cornerback – Washington Redskins (2005–2010), San Francisco 49ers (2011–2013), Oakland Raiders (2014) – 1 Pro Bowl (2011), 1 Second-team All-Pro (2011) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 2005–2013 (wore 27 with Oakland in 2014)

Rolland Lawrence

Cornerback – Atlanta Falcons (1973–1980) – 1 Pro Bowl (1977), 1 First-team All-Pro (1977) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 1973–1980

Steve Freeman

Defensive Back / Safety – Buffalo Bills (1975–1986), Minnesota Vikings (1987) – None (0 selections) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 1975–1987

Mark Ingram

Running Back – New Orleans Saints (2011–2018, 2021–2022), Baltimore Ravens (2019–2020), Houston Texans (2021) – 3 Pro Bowls (2014, 2017, 2019) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 2016–2022 (wore 28 in 2011–2015 with New Orleans)

John Cappelletti

Running Back / Fullback – Los Angeles Rams (1974–1978), San Diego Chargers (1980–1983) – None (0 selections) – Wore number 22 for seasons: 1974–1978, 1980–1982 (wore 25 in 1983)

Timmy Brown

Running Back / Return Specialist – Green Bay Packers (1959), Philadelphia Eagles (1960–1967), Baltimore Colts (1968) – Selected to 3 Pro Bowls and 3 Second-team All-Pro honors – Wore number 22 during the 1960 through 1967 seasons.

Dave Duerson

Safety – Chicago Bears (1983–1989), New York Giants (1990), Arizona Cardinals (1991–1993) – Selected to 4 Pro Bowls and 2 Second-team All-Pro selections – Wore number 22 during his entire NFL career (1983 through 1993).

Tony Nathan

Running Back – Miami Dolphins (1979–1987) – Selected to 0 Pro Bowls or All-Pro teams – Wore number 22 during his entire NFL career (1979 through 1987).

Tim McKyer

Cornerback – San Francisco 49ers (1986–1990), Miami Dolphins (1991–1992), Atlanta Falcons (1993, 1995), Pittsburgh Steelers (1994), Carolina Panthers (1995), Green Bay Packers (1996), Denver Broncos (1997) – Selected to 0 Pro Bowls or All-Pro teams – Wore number 22 during the 1986–1990 (49ers), 1991–1992 (Dolphins), 1993 (Falcons), and 1995 (Panthers) seasons.

Zeke Moore

Cornerback / Defensive Back – Houston Oilers (1967–1977) – Selected to 2 Pro Bowls and 0 All-Pro teams – Wore number 22 during his entire NFL/AFL career (1967 through 1977).

Conclusion

The history of jersey Number 22 is rich with names that defined their positions and their eras. From Emmitt Smith setting the NFL’s all-time rushing record and Mike Haynes locking down receivers with flair, to Paul Krause snatching a record 81 career interceptions, this jersey signifies unparalleled excellence across the field whether worn by a Super Bowl-winning quarterback like Bobby Layne or a modern superstar like Derrick Henry, the players who chose No. 22 consistently represented dominance, versatility, and an enduring legacy in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Many thanks go out to the great sources that share information like Pro-Football-Reference.com, Newspapers.com etc…

You can find more on the legend at each jersey number on this site, including Jersey Number 21.

Greatest Players Who Wore the NFL Jersey 21

Celebrate Football History With Your Collection

"Heads up: A few links in this description are affiliate links. That means if you click through and grab something, I might get a small cut that helps keep the lights on here—at zero additional cost to you!"

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