Greatest Players Who Wore the NFL Jersey 37

The Pick-Six Kings: Why Number 37 is Synonymous with Defensive Playmakers! 🤯

Did you know that number 37, Rodney Harrison, was a fifth-round Draft Pick who helped San Diego reach Super Bowl XXIX as a rookie? That kind of electrifying play is exactly what defines this iconic jersey! From Hall of Famers like Jimmy Johnson—the elite All-Pro corner who anchored the 49ers defense—to the late, great Doak Walker, who pioneered the position, the number 37 represents a legacy of game-changing excellence. Dive in to celebrate the versatile backs, lockdown defenders, and unforgettable champions who made this number legendary!

Podcaster Aron Harris joined us in 2021 to dig into these legendary names.

Who Are the Top NFL Players Who Wore the Jersey Number 37?

Doak Walker

A Pro Football Hall of Famer, this versatile halfback was the 1948 Heisman Trophy winner and led the Detroit Lions to two NFL Championships, earning four Pro Bowl selections in just six NFL seasons.

Halfback / Defensive Back – Detroit Lions (1950–1955) – 5 Pro Bowl selections and 4 First-Team All-Pro selections – Wore Number 37 during the 1950–1955 seasons.

Jimmy Johnson

A Pro Football Hall of Famer, this elite two-way player starred at cornerback and safety for the San Francisco 49ers, earning five Pro Bowl selections and being named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.

Cornerback – San Francisco 49ers (1961–1976) – 5 Pro Bowl selections and 8 All-Pro selections (4 First-Team, 4 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1961–1976 seasons.

Rodney Harrison

A hard-hitting safety, he was a two-time Super Bowl champion (Patriots) and the first player in NFL history with 30 sacks and 30 interceptions, earning two Pro Bowl selections.

Safety – San Diego Chargers (1994–2002), New England Patriots (2003–2008) – 2 Pro Bowl selections and 3 All-Pro selections (2 First-Team, 1 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1994–2008 seasons.

Lester Hayes

A Pro Football Hall of Famer, this lockdown cornerback was the 1980 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, led the league with 13 interceptions that season, and won Super Bowl XV with the Raiders.

Cornerback – Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1977–1986) – 5 Pro Bowl selections and 5 All-Pro selections (4 First-Team, 1 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1977–1986 seasons.

Carnell Lake

A versatile defensive back/linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection at four different positions (cornerback, strong safety, free safety, and linebacker).

Safety / Cornerback – Pittsburgh Steelers (1989–1998), Jacksonville Jaguars (1999), Baltimore Ravens (2001) – 5 Pro Bowl selections and 4 All-Pro selections (1 First-Team, 3 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1989–1999 and 2001 seasons.

Shaun Alexander

The star running back for the Seattle Seahawks, he was the 2005 NFL MVP and led the league in rushing touchdowns twice, setting the single-season rushing touchdown record in 2005.

Running Back – Seattle Seahawks (2000–2007), Washington Redskins (2008) – 3 Pro Bowl selections and 2 All-Pro selections (1 First-Team, 1 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 2000–2008 seasons.

Pat Fischer

A tenacious cornerback, he was a defensive leader for the Washington Redskins, earning three Pro Bowl selections and setting a franchise record for career interceptions.

Defensive Back – St. Louis Cardinals (1961–1967), Washington Redskins (1968–1977) – 3 Pro Bowl selections and 4 All-Pro selections (2 First-Team, 2 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1961–1977 seasons.

Nate Odomes

A shutdown cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, he was a key part of the Bills’ four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and earned two Pro Bowl selections.

Defensive Back – Buffalo Bills (1987–1993), Seattle Seahawks (1994–1995), Atlanta Falcons (1996) – 2 Pro Bowl selections and 1 All-Pro selection (1 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1987–1993 seasons.

Larry Centers

A premier receiving fullback, he was a three-time Pro Bowl selection who was the first running back in NFL history to record over 100 receptions in a single season (1995).

Fullback – Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals (1990–1998), Washington Redskins (1999–2000), Buffalo Bills (2001–2002), New England Patriots (2003) – 3 Pro Bowl selections and 1 All-Pro selection (1 First-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1990–2002 seasons.

Deion Sanders

A Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the most electric players ever, “Prime Time” was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection who won two consecutive Super Bowls (49ers, Cowboys) and is the only player to score an NFL touchdown and hit a major league baseball home run in the same week.

Defensive Back / Wide Receiver – Atlanta Falcons (1989–1993), San Francisco 49ers (1994), Dallas Cowboys (1995–1999), Washington Redskins (2000), Baltimore Ravens (2004–2005) – 8 Pro Bowl selections and 8 All-Pro selections (6 First-Team, 2 Second-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 2004–2005 seasons.

Tom Woodeshick: A solid running back and team leader for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was selected to the 1968 Pro Bowl after surpassing 1,000 yards from scrimmage.

More NFL Top Players Who Wore Jersey 37

Mark Murphy

Defensive Back – Green Bay Packers (1980–1991) – 0 Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections – Wore Number 37 during the 1980–1991 seasons.

Tom Myers

Defensive Back – New Orleans Saints (1972–1981) – 1 Pro Bowl selection and 1 All-Pro selection (1 First-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1972–1981 seasons.

Mike Reinfeldt

Defensive Back – Oakland Raiders (1976), Houston Oilers (1976–1983) – 1 Pro Bowl selection and 1 All-Pro selection (1 First-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1976–1983 seasons.

Maurice Hurst

Defensive Back – New England Patriots (1989–1995) – 0 Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections – Wore Number 37 during the 1989–1995 seasons.

Tommy Casanova

Defensive Back – Cincinnati Bengals (1972–1977) – 3 Pro Bowl selections and 1 All-Pro selection (1 First-Team) – Wore Number 37 during the 1972–1977 seasons.

Tyrone Williams

Defensive Back – Green Bay Packers (1996–2002), Atlanta Falcons (2003), Dallas Cowboys (2004) – 0 Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections – Wore Number 37 during the 1996–2004 seasons.

Yeremiah Bell

J.B. Brown

Kenny Johnson

Chad Cota

James Washington

Willie Teal

Chris Goode

Domanick Williams

We thank the many sources listed above and the ones we used for almost every entry, including Pro-Football-Reference.com, NFL.com, Wikipedia, and Newspapers.com.