Have you ever wondered who the greatest NFL players were that wore the number 3 on their jersey? To help in the discussion on the jersey number 3 worn by significant players in Pro Football History we have a special guest, the host of the Sports History Network’s Truly the GOATs and SHN Showcase podcasts, Mr Os Davis! Os Welcome to the Pigpen.
Let’s lay the scope of our project out to the listeners. Now we know we know as hard as we may try we are going to miss a few legends here and there, and if we do here is where you our listeners come in. Please let us know your thoughts by emailing us at PigskinDispatch@gmail.com and we will be sure to look into the player in question and remember them on a future podcast where we will try to pick up some of the pieces we may have missed in the first go round.
#3 Pro Football Hall of Fame players are:
- Tony Canadeo - May 5, 1919 - Chicago, Illinois - “The Grey Ghost of Gonzaga” . Two Way player who ran, passed, blocked an tackled and intercepted passes. Tony played for the Green Bay Packers from 1941 through the 1952 season as a halfback. 1094 touches 4776 yards with a 4.4 average with 31 TDs. 1st team All-Pro in 1943. Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
- Bronko Nagurski -November 3, 1908 - Rainy River, Ontario, Canada - The famous fullback from the University of Minnesota, Bronko Nagurski was born. Nagurski was a consensus All-American in 1929 for the Gophers. As a matter of fact, according to gophersports.com Bronko is the only player who has been named to two positions on the same All-America team. In 1929, his senior year at Minnesota, he was voted to the first team at both tackle and fullback. In addition, he was named to some All-America teams as an end. Nagurski was a star at Minnesota from 1927-29 and led the Gophers to an 18-4-2 record during that time. Amazingly Minnesota's four losses came by a combined five points. The National Football Foundation could hardly wait to enter Bronko Nagurski into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. After school was over Nagurski signed on with George Halas and his Chicago Bears teams of 1930 through 1938. Bronko was one of the star players for those Bears squads and he helped the team win NFL Championships in both 1932 & 1933. He was a great write up on one of the infamous 1933 victory and the play made in part by Nagurski that helped take the Bears to victory by clicking here. Bronko Nagurski was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the entry class of 1963.
- Jan Stenerud - November 26, 1942- The Kicker Jan Stenerud was born and is a member in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991. 19 seasons KC, GB & Minn
- Jim Thorpe - 1887- Jim Thorpe was an NFL player and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and Gold Medalist Olympian. He is also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. What made all of these accomplishments even more impressive was the Thorpe was also breaking race barriers to do so as he was a Native American. Born on a reservation in Prague, Oklahoma he ended up playing football for the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania under legendary Coach Pop Warner. Thorpe not only won the pentathlon and the decathlon in the 1912 Olympic games for the US and played football, but he was also successful at playing baseball and basketball as well. As a pro football player Jim played for the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Oorang Indians, Rock Island Independents and the New York Giants.
Others Noteworthy Include:
- Russell Wilson
- Carson Palmer
- Jeff George
- Derek Anderson
- Bobby Hebert
- Daryle Lamonica
- Jameis Winston
- Jon Kitna
- Joey Harrington
- Brandon Weeden
- Mark Sanchez
- Rick Mirer
- Matt Stover
- Eddie Murray
- John Carney
- Mark Moseley
- Matt Bryant
- Stephen Gostkowski
- Josh Brown
- Rich Karlis
- Mark Royals
- Jeff Reed
- Jay Feely
Our top 5? Well Os Davis and Darin picked the top 5 NFL Jersey number 3s List founf here.
