Best of Jersey 33

While some jersey numbers scream "superstar" in the NFL, number 33 might not be the first to come to mind. But beneath this seemingly ordinary number lies a rich history filled with impactful players across various positions. From elusive running backs to lockdown defenders, number 33 has seen its fair share of gridiron greatness.

This article dives deep into the careers of the top NFL players who donned the number 33, showcasing their unique talents and contributions to the game.

On this edition of the Football  by Numbers series will be coming up with the top ten best NFL players to wear the number 33 and to help us Joe Ziemba of the When Football was Football Podcast stops by the Pigpen! 

The Hall of Fame gives us our starting point:

Mike Michalske

Born April 24, 1903, in Cleveland, Ohio, was Mike Michalske the Penn State All-american guard. Mike  signed on in the pros with the  original American Football League’s New York Yankees in 1927. He played there for two seasons until the League disbanded and then he joined the Green Bay Packers of the NFL in 1929 then anchored their lines all the way until 1937. Mike’s bio on the Pro Football Hall of Fame says that Michalske was particularly adept at going after the passer. He also championed the idea of using former fullbacks at guard because they were fast and explosive. He sold the idea to Green Bay Packers coach Curly Lambeau and thus it was no accident that many fine Green Bay guards had cut their football teeth as fullbacks. Michalske  was a great two-way player as the guy played 60 minutes of darn near every game he played in earning him the name of “Iron Mike.” The Packers won NFL titles in 1929, 1930, and 1931, and Michalske was named All-NFL in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, and 1935. In 1964 the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Mike Michalske into their Canton, ohio museum of legends. NFL Jersey Number 36

More Information

---

Ray Nitschke

Born December 29, 1936 - Ray Nitschke the feared middle linebacker of the Green Bay Packers was born. Ray was the third overall pick in the 1958 NFL Draft by the Packers and he played with the team for 15 seasons according to his bio on the Pro Football HOF. Nitschke defended both the run and the pass well as his 25 career interceptions would indicate. Ray was a member of 5 champion Green Bay teams and was the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame placed Ray Nitschke in a gold jacket in 1978.

More Information

---

Sammy Baugh

Born March 17, 1914 birth in Temple, Texas on this day. Sammy Baugh according to the NFF says that Baugh was also an excellent punter, who as a professional would lead the league four times. During a 3-2 TCU victory over LSU in the Sugar Bowl, Baugh punted 14 times for a 48 yard average, placing many kicks inside the Tiger five yard line. Baugh gained All America status in 1935 and repeated as a consensus All-America in his 1936 senior season. The National Football Foundation saluted the great career of Sammy Baugh by placing his stats and story in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. When Baugh left TCU he joined the Washington Redskins when they used the number one overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft to select him. In 16 professional seasons Sammy played on five division and two league championship teams. As a passer Baugh led the league six times and still holds many NFL passing records tossing an amazing for the time 187 TDs. In addition to being a great passer and punter, Baugh was also an extremely efficient defensive player as he led the NFL in interceptions in 1943 and finished his NFL career with 31. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Sammy Baugh's gridiron legacy in 1963.

More Information

---

Tony Dorsett

Born April 7, 1954 - Rochester, Pennsylvania - The great University of Pittsburgh halfback from 1973 to 1976, Tony Dorsett. In his four seasons as a Panther he amassed 6,082 yards, setting an NCAA record. In the Heisman voting Tony was in the top 13 all four of his seasons winning the coveted trophy in 1976. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of TD Tony Dorsett into their legendary museum in 1994. The Dallas Cowboys used some clever trades to work themselves into the position to take Dorsett with the number one pick in the 1977 NFL Draft. Doresett helped the Cowboys emerge as Super Bowl XII champions per an NFL.com article. His career rushing yards of  12,036 and 72 rushing touchdowns are the second-most in Cowboys history behind Emmitt Smith. Tony was the 1977 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.  He spent 11 seasons in the NFL with Dallas and a final year as a member of the Denver Broncos. Tony Dorsett was one of the newly enshrined honorees at the 1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies.

More Information

---

Ollie Matson

Born May 1, 1930, in Trinity, Texas, was the University of San Francisco’s stud halfback of 1949 to 1951, Ollie Matson. Ollie finishied as a contender for the Heisman Trophy. After that season, he turned around and won the silver and bronze medals in the 1952 Olympic Games! The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Ollie Matson in their legendary museum in 1976. In 1952 Matson was the number one overall pick by the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Draft. He played well for the Cards but was traded to the Rams in 1959 for nine players! You can learn more about that trade here. Ollie racked up over 12,000 yards of total offense in the League and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

More Information

---

Just like you we are fans of sports history and legendary athletes. The posts generally take a lot of time and research to put together, so it’s a fair bit of workand we love to do it! In order to bring you the quality info and make ends meet we make commissions from qualifying purchases in ads and links you may see on this page. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. Just keeping it real and thanking you for your continued support! 

The Substantial Players wearing 33 not yet in the HOF are:

• Roger Craig
• Charles Tillman
• Ronnie Harmon
• Reggie Rucker
• Doug Evans
• Kevin Faulk
• David Fulcher
• Kenny Graham
• W.K. Hicks
• Michael Turner
• Ashley Ambrose
• Michael Griffin
• Eddie Anderson
• Tony Collins
• Mark Cotney
• Larry Morris
• Merril Hoge
• Daylon McCutcheon
• Nick Pietrosante
• John Fuqua
• Darryl Williams
• Dalvin Cook
• Jamal Adams
• Don Woods
• Willie Ellison
• Aaron Jones
• Tre Boston
• Leroy Hoard
• Jabari Greer
• Dan Doornink
• Dion Lewis
• Dominic Rhodes
• Gary Brown
• Chris Ivory
• J.C. Wilson
• Willis Crenshaw
• Tony Parrish
• James Stewart
• Billy Cannon
• Cannonball Butler

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

1. Sammy Baugh
2. Tony Dorsett
3. Ollie Matson
4. Roger Craig
5. Ray Nitschke
6. Larry Morris
7. Charles Tillman
8. Reggie Rucker
9. Mike Michalske
10. Nick Pietrosante

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