Best of Jersey 15

In the history of Pro Football, jersey numbers transcend mere digits. They become emblems of on-field dominance, forever etched in the memories of fans and forever linked to the iconic players who wore them. Today, we set our sights on number 15, a jersey donned by a fascinating cast of gridiron heroes.

This storied number isn't confined to a single position. From legendary quarterbacks slinging laser throws to electrifying running backs leaving defenders in their wake, number 15 boasts a rich and diverse history.  It's been a badge of honor for some of the league's most exciting and impactful players, both on offense and defense.

Aron Harris of the Football Odyssey joined Darin for the greatest number 15’s in the history of the NFL. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame shares that there are 3 players enshrined that they claim wore the number 15 jersey at some point during their Pro careers. Those players would be:

• Johnny Blood McNally was a larger than life player who played running back in the NFL for the Packers from 1929 through 1933, took 1934 off then returned in 1935 and 1936. Johnny also played for the Milwaukee Badgers, Duluth Eskimos, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pottsville Maroons. He attended college at St,. John’s of Minnesota and played football there in 1921 and 1922. According to a story on Packers.com Johnny adopted the alias Johnny Blood while playing sandlot football and turned it into one of the most magical names in sports. There are also reports that the alias “Blood” was denoted from a popular Rudolph Valentino movie title “ Blood and Sand.” It also was a fitting name for one of the game's most colorful and eccentric players. Most important, Blood was pro football's first big playmaker. Like most of the Packers' great backs of the Iron Man Era, Blood was a proficient receiver, runner, passer, punter and defender. McNally played on 4 NFL Championship teams and is on the HOF team of the 1930’s era. Johnny Blood was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. https://www.packers.com/history/hof/john-blood-mcnally 
• Bart Starr was born January 9, 1934 in Montgomery, Alabama. The stellar quarterback played at the University of Alabama. Bart was a 17th round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 1956 according to his bio on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website. His great career in the NFL lasted for 16 years as he was under center for 5 NFL titles and 2 Super Bowl victories. As a matter of fact he was the Most Valuable Player in both Super Bowl I and II. Bart’s career stats show he threw for 152 touchdowns and ran in 15 other scores. The most famous of these rushing TDs was probably the Ice Bowl NFL Championship game of 1967 when he plunged in for the game winner with little time left in sub zero temperatures. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Bart Starr in 1977.
• Steve Van Buren was born December 28, 1920 in La Ceiba, Honduras. He was known as “Supersonic” Steve Van Buren of LSU. The great halfback was the number one pick in the 1944 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Steve made the All-NFL team in six straight seasons as he also won the NFL rushing title in four different years. Van Buren tallied the lone score in the 1947 NFL Championship game to give Philly the 7-0 victory over the Chicago Cardinals.  The next year in the Title game he established a Championship game record when he trotted 196 yards in the contest against the LA Rams in a 14-0 Title win. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Steve Van Buren in 1965.

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Other players that at the time of this podcast recording are NOT in the Hall Of Fame as of yet.

Aron and I dove into a bunch of these to put our collective heads together to present a top ten list of the top NFL players to wear the 15 jersey. The players considered are:

• Brandon Marshall - wide receiver who started with the Denver Broncos and had stints in Mimai , Chicago, Seattle and New York.
• Jack Kemp QB  most famously of the Buffalo Bills in their two AFL Championship seasons
• Babe Parilli
• Michael Crabtree
• Jeff Hostetler
• Patrick Mahomes
• Earl Morrall
• Golden Tate
• Vince Ferragamo
• Craig Morton

1. Steve Van Buren
2. Patrick Mahomes
3. Johnny Blood
4. Bart Starr
5. Brandon Marshall
6. Jack Kemp
7. Jeff Hostetler
8. Earl Morrall
9. Craig Morton
10. Golden Tate
11. Babe Parilli

Do you agree or disagree with our list? We would love to get your feedback, so email us at PigskinDispatch@gmail.com.

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.