Best of Jersey 18

Jersey numbers transcend mere identification on the gridiron. They evolve into emblems of on-field dominance, forever etched in the memories of fans and forever linked to the legendary players who wore them with pride. Today, we're setting our sights on number 18, a jersey donned by a fascinating array of gridiron greats.

From the cannon arms of quarterbacks dissecting defenses to the punishing runs of powerful running backs, number 18 boasts a rich and storied history. This jersey has been a badge of honor for some of the league's most electrifying players, both on offense and defense.

Intrigued by the NFL icons who rocked number 18? Dive into our exclusive list featuring the most famous players who wore this iconic number. We'll delve into their careers, explore their signature plays, and examine the lasting impact they left on the game. Get ready for a captivating journey through NFL history, all centered around the prestigious number 18!

The greatest NFL players to wear the number 18 was selected with the expert help of Football Historian, author and podcast host Joe Ziemba joined Darin. Joe wrote a great book on the Chicago Cardinals titled, "When Football was Football; The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL." His podcast, found on the Sports History Network, shares part of his book's name, "When Football was Football."

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Joe Ziemba

Joe Ziemba is the award-winning author of the book "When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL," "Cadets, Cannons and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy," and "Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL's Oldest Rivalry. He is also the host of the Award Winning Podcast When Football was Football, found on the Sports History Network.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame shares (7) Hall of Fame players who they say wore the number 18 during their NFL careers. We set up links to the Pro Football Reference.com website to look at their stats.

• Charlie Joiner - Wide Receiver with the Chargers and his October 14 birthday post gives even more details
• Randy Moss -Great WR for multiple teams including the Vikings and the Patriots, see his February 13 birthday post.
• Emmitt Thomas - Find out even more on this great defensive back on  his June 3 birthday post. 

Walt Kiesling

Born May 27, 1903, in St. Paul, Minnesota, was Pro Football Hall of Fame Lineman and Coach Walt Kiesling. Kiesling played college football at the University of St. Thomas. Walt played 13 years as a guard and tackle in the NFL with the Duluth Eskimos (1926–1927), Pottsville Maroons (1928), Chicago Cardinals (1929–1933), Chicago Bears (1934), Green Bay Packers (1935–1936), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1937–1938). Kiesling also spent 25 years as a coach or aide for NFL teams, including seven years as head coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers from 1939 to 1942 and 1954 to 1956. He provided Pittsburgh's first franchise winning season in 1942. He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and was named to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team in 1969.

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Len Dawson

Born June 20, 1935, in Alliance, Ohio, was Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Len Dawson. He played college football at Purdue. The Pro Football Hall of Fame states that Dawson is among the elite in Pro quarterbacks with an 82.56 QB rating over a span of 19 seasons in the NFL. He was the top pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957's NFL Draft. He served as a back up there and later, Cleveland until in 1962 he found his way on to the AFL's Dallas Texans roster. After the move to Kansas City and rebranding the team as the Chiefs, Dawson cemented himself as the starter. He was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1962 and selected to six AFL All-Star games. Dawson also guided the Chiefs to three AFL championships and the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV, of which he was named MVP. The Chiefs revered Number 16 may be best remembered for his gritty performance as he led the Kansas City to a 23-7 upset over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. In that game Dawson connected on 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards.

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Pete Henry

Born October 31, 1897, in Mansfield, Ohio - Wilbur better known as Pete Henry, was a 3 year All-American tackle from Washington and Jefferson College. He was perhaps the largest lineman of his era as he stood 5-foot-11-inches tall and weighed in at a solid 245 pounds. Pete 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.

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Peyton Manning

Born March 24, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana, was Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning. The University of Tennessee product became Tennessee's all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns and won 39 of 45 games as a starter, breaking the Southeastern Conference record for career wins. Peyton won the Maxwell, Davey O'Brien, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior en route to victory in the 1997 SEC Championship. first overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Colts, where he served as their starting quarterback from 1998 to 2010. He helped transform the struggling Colts franchise into consistent playoff contenders, leading them to 11 playoff appearances, eight division titles, three AFC Championship Games, two Super Bowl appearances, and one championship title in Super Bowl XLI. After a neck injury, he left Indy for Denver. Manning's career ended with a victory in Super Bowl 50, making him the first starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl for more than one franchise. many NFL records, including MVP awards, quarterback first-team All-Pro selections, 4,000-yard passing seasons, single-season passing yards, and single-season passing touchdowns. He is also third in career passing yards and passing touchdowns. Helping lead both the Colts and Broncos to two Super Bowls each, Manning is the only quarterback to have multiple Super Bowl starts with more than one franchise. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

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• Roman Gabriel- The legendary LA Rams and Washington quarterback.
• Jim Zorn - The famous QB of some pretty interesting Seattle Seahawks teams of the 1980s.
• A. J. Green
• Gene Washington
• Elvis Grbac
• Wade Wilson
• Randall Cobb
• Frank Tripucka
• Mike Tomczak
• Sidney Rice
• Jerry Maclin
• Ben Hawkins

1. Peyton Manning
2. Charlie Joiner
3. Randy Moss
4. Pete Henry
5. Walt Kiesling
6. Roman Gabriel
7. Emmitt Thomas
8. A.J. Green
9. Len Dawson
10. Randall Cobb

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.