Best of Jersey 13

In the world of sports, the number 13 is often associated with bad luck. But in the NFL, some of the most fearless and talented players have chosen to embrace this number, turning it into a symbol of defiance and dominance.

This list dives deep into the careers of the greatest NFL players who donned the number 13 with pride.  Get ready to discover a diverse group of gridiron greats as we'll explore their careers, signature plays, and the lasting legacy they left behind. Get ready for a journey through NFL history, all centered around the storied number 13!

The top 10 of the NFL to wear the number 13 became a solo mission of Darin Hayes. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame says the following enshrined individuals wore the number

• Guy Chamberlin after serving in World War I played pro football for eight years.  Bears legend, George Halas called him "the greatest two-way end in the history of the game."  He was not only a good player but he was a great early coach in the NFL according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his six coaching seasons, five of which were spent as a player-coach, Chamberlin also won four NFL championships for the Canton Bulldogs in 1922 and 1923, the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924, and the Frankford Yellowjackets in 1926. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Guy Chaberlin in 1965.
• Pete Henry signed to play with the Canton Bulldogs coincidently on the same day that the NFL’s precursor the American Professional Football Association formed in Ralph Hay’s Hupmobile Showroom in Canton. The good natured Henry off the field was replaced by a focused beast on the gridiron. Pete’s most notable season had to be in 1923 with the Bulldogs according to the National Football Foundation's website. Henry booted a 94 yard punt, blocked a punt, scored a touchdown and kicked nine field goals via drop kick , oh and by the way the Canton Bulldogs won their second consecutive NFL Championship that year due in part to his great play. In the NFL for a total of 8 seasons not only with Canton but was a member of the Pottsville Maroons and the New York Giants too. Pete Henry was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Pete in 1963’s class of inductees.
• Dan Marino - The Miami Dolphins selected him as the 27th overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, with five other quarterbacks chosen ahead of him including Ken O’Brien, Tony Eason, Jim Kelly, Todd Blackledge and John Elway. Dan played with Miami for 17 seasons and rewrote not only the Dolphins passing record books but most of the NFL passing records too. He played in only one Super Bowl in his second season where the Dolphins fell to the 49ers after Dan passed for over 300 yards. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined this prolific passer in 2005 and entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Here is more on Marino.
• Don Maynard was born January 25, 1935. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quotes Maynard as stating that his record that he is most proud of is the fact that he was the first to achieve 10,000 yards receiving in an NFL career. The legendary wideout attributed the accomplishment of this feat by his playing longevity which lasted for 15 seasons. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined the gridiron feats of Don Maynard in 1987. Check out more on Maynard here.
• Joe Stydahar was born March 17, 1912 in Kaylor, Pennsylvania and was the very first pick of the Chicago Bears in the first ever NFL Draft in 1936. A two way player at Tackle. Was selected as All-NFL in five straight seasons of 1936 through 1940 and played on 3 Championship teams. Early in his career he often played without a helmet. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Joe Stydahar in 1967.
• George Trafton was born December 6, 1896 in Chicago. Trafton was the longtime center of the Chicago Bears. Trafton according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s biography sketch on him played only one season of college ball at Notre Dame before jumping to the Pro ranks with George Halas and the Bears. In fact he was the franchise’s first center because he actually started off his NFL career as a Staley. Trafton indicated that in those early days, rosters were small so players on the team were expected to play a full 60 minutes. Mr Trafton set a couple of NFL trends as he was the first offensive center to snap the ball using only one hand and on the other side of the ball he was the first defensive lineman to move around the field in a rover like manner. He spent 12 seasons in the League. The  Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined George Trafton in 1964.
• Kurt Warner was born June 22, 1971- Kurt Warner Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined QB that played for the Rams, Giants and Cardinals. FOr more on Kurt please see our Inspiration Sensation article by clicking Kurt Warner Inspiration.

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Others that are not yet in the Hall Of Fame  include:

• Michael Thomas
•  Nate Burleson
•  T.Y. Hilton
•  Kennan Allen
•  Kelvin Benjamin
•  Odell Beckham Jr
•  Kendall Wright
•  Mike Vanderjagt
•  Chris Jacke

Here is our Top Ten List of the Best Number 13's to wear the jersey in the NFL.

We had fun finding the best players in the NFL’s history to put on the number 13 jersey.
We had a great list of candidates that really spanned the entire 101 plus years of history of the League and came up with these ten player as being the most substantial:  

1. Dan Marino
2. Ken Riley
3. Don Maynard
4. Kurt Warner
5. Joe Stydahar
6. George Trafton
7. Guy Chamberlin
8. Wilbur Henry
9. Mike Evans
10. Keenan Allen.

A speical thanks to the Pro Football Reference website for information they share on these great players. Check them out at Pro-Football-Reference.com

The Image used above is courtesy of Google Gemini and others from Wikimedia Commons. It is pleasing to see such vivid images of the jerseys that point out the uniform number and help us identify the legends that wore it.