The Most Iconic Athletes at Every Number (50-59)

Welcome back to a continuation of our weekly blog detailing the most iconic athletes at every number. This week, we have a great football-heavy roster of talent from #50-59. We’re back for the next installment of WLTL’s most iconic athletes at every number.

#50 - Mike Singletary (Honorable Mentions: David Robinson and Dave Dalby)

Drafted out of Baylor in the 1981 NFL Draft with the 38th overall pick, Mike Singletary immediately became a key contributor to a legendary Chicago Bears defensive unit that took the league by storm. In his 12-year career, Singletary would amass 172 starts for the Bears, the second most in franchise history. He was a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year and has 10 Pro Bowls to his name, however his crowning achievement came in 1985, when, piloting the “46” Defense, Singletary won the 1985 Super Bowl as the Chicago Bears finished the season with a 15-1 record capped off with a 46-10 beatdown of the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. As a player, Mike Singletary was rated as one of the greatest linebackers of all time, and his dominance and style of play set the benchmark for the great linebackers who followed him.

#51 - Dick Butkus (Honorable Mentions: Ichiro Suzuki and Randy Johnson)

From Bears linebacker to Bears linebacker, we have the legendary Dick Butkus. After being a standout at the University of Illinois, Butkus went 3rd overall in the 1965 draft to the Chicago Bears. Despite having big shoes to fill with former Hall of Famer Bill George, Butkus stepped into the middle linebacker role and immediately made a massive impact. He finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting as teammate Gale Sayers (sound familiar?) would take home the award. His presence in the league became established in the next few years, with players selecting him as “The Most Feared Player in the League” in 1970, as his fearless style of blitzing ensured that quarterbacks were always on the lookout for #51. While his career ended with contract disputes, Butkus’ legacy was firmly cemented as “The Golden Standard by which all linebackers are measured”, and the 8-time Pro Bowler as arguably the greatest Chicago Bear in team history.

#52 - Ray Lewis (Honorable Mentions: Jamaal Wilkes and Khalil Mack)

The story of “The Original Raven” is an inspiring one about overcoming the odds. With an absentee father and an abusive stepfather, the undersized Ray Lewis rose to stardom in high school as he compensated for his size with an extremely technical style of play. After a fruitful tenure at the University of Miami, Lewis called back to his childhood days with his number choice. A typical workout he’d do as a child was drawing a card from a deck and doing that number of push-ups so he could get stronger and protect his family from his abusive stepfather. So he picked the #52 when he entered the league for a 52-card deck, and he became the 2nd player ever drafted for the Baltimore Ravens behind Jonathan Ogden. As he blossomed into a top defensive player in the league, Lewis became the leader of a defense that many say in the same breath as the 1985 Chicago Bears, as the 2000 Baltimore Ravens played a suffocating defensive year, all culminating in a 35-7 dismantling of the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, with Lewis winning Super Bowl MVP. In the years following, while the Ravens struggled to find an offense, Lewis continued to dominate on the defensive side of the ball and was elected to 13 Pro Bowls, 7 First Team All-Pros, and became a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year. In 2012, what he announced as his final season, the miraculous play of Joe Flacco woke up the offense as the Ravens managed to field a championship team, which routed the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. Lewis left the league at the very top, and he is debated today as the greatest linebacker in NFL history, making him our undisputed choice for #52.

#53 - Don Drysdale (Honorable Mentions: Harry Carson and Randy Gradishar)

#53 was a little hard to choose, as many of us were unfamiliar with the players; however, one that stuck out to us was “Big D”, Don Drysdale. Drysdale made his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956 and pitched a scoreless 9th inning as a closer in his first game. He briefly left the team with teammate Sandy Koufax to enlist with the U.S. Army Reserves for six months, but then returned with enough time to lead the Dodgers to the 1959 World Series championship. The following years saw him add to his trophy cabinet, as he took home 9 All Stars, 3 World Series titles, and the 1962 Cy Young Award for the MLB. While he is a pitcher often overshadowed by his legendary teammate, Don Drysdale was an irreplaceable member of the Dodgers rotation throughout their move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and his contribution to the team defined his place as one of the greatest pitchers in Dodger history.

#54 - Brian Urlacher (Honorable Mentions: Randy White and Rich Gossage)

In this one edition of our list, we have already seen two Chicago Bears linebackers from two different eras, and now we’re adding a third. After an incredible stint at the University of New Mexico, Brian Urlacher was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 9th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. After initially being sat, Urlacher was promoted to the starting role in Chicago and, despite an injury to his rib cage, still managed to take home the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. While his early days were marred by injuries, 2005 saw Urlacher take off into superstardom as the Bears played in their second game in his tenure, and he won the Defensive Player of the Year. 2006 saw him and the defense lead the Bears to the Super Bowl, where they were felled by the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts. While the Bears were unable to replicate their playoff success in the years following, Urlacher remained a dominant force in the league and one well-respected by his peers. He retired in 2012, holding the franchise records for tackles (1,779), sacks (41.5), and interceptions (22). The 8-time Pro Bowler and 4-time First Team All-Pro is the undisputed greatest Chicago Bear of the 21st century, and has defined his legacy as one of the greatest linebackers in league history.

#55 - Junior Seau (Honorable Mentions: Ollie Hershiser and Lee Roy Jordan)

Yet another linebacker, Junior Seau was a standout at the University of Southern California and was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1989. His play convinced the San Diego Chargers to spend a 5th overall pick on him in the 1990 NFL Draft. Seau immediately became the face of the Chargers franchise, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 and leading the Chargers to the 1994 Super Bowl, where they fell to the San Francisco 49ers. After a down year in 2002, Seau was traded from coast to coast as he became a Miami Dolphin. While initially showing promise, his injury-ridden tenure with the team resulted in his release following the 2005 season. After declaring retirement, Seau re-entered the league in 2006 to play for a talented New England Patriots team. He returned to his old form in Foxborough and was a key contributor to “The Greatest Team in NFL History” in 2007 as the record-setting New England Patriots held a 17-0 record going into the Super Bowl, where they were then upset by the New York Giants. In 2010, he announced his official retirement from football and tragically committed suicide two years later in 2012. Junior Seau was one of the most iconic linebackers of the 90s and 2000s, and his play on the field made him the easy choice for the greatest #55 of all time.

#56 - Lawrence Taylor (Honorable Mentions: Martin Truex Jr. and Sergei Zubov)

Yes, another linebacker. Lawrence Taylor was a dominant force at the University of North Carolina, convincing New York Giants management to use their 2nd overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft on him. Despite wearing #98 in college, Taylor elected to take on #56 in honor of former Cowboys linebacker Thomas Henderson. His early career showed immense promise for the legendary career he would carve for himself, however Taylor’s most infamous moment occurred in 1985, when he broke Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann’s leg on a nationally televised Monday Night Football game. As the footage showed Taylor distraught, shouting for paramedics, this moment would forever change the trajectory of the franchise, and specifically the career of our snub for #17, Doug Williams. In 1986, Taylor put together one of the greatest campaigns in NFL history, as he became one of two defensive players to win NFL MVP and capped off the season with a victory in that year’s Super Bowl over John Elway’s Denver Broncos. After a down year in the strike-shortened season, 1988 was marred by controversy as Taylor tested positive for cocaine usage and served a 30-day suspension from the league. Taylor eventually returned to the Super Bowl in 1990, and won his second ring as the Bills missed the game-winning field goal wide right. Taylor had a decline in his final years in New York before retiring after a 1993 playoff blowout as the San Francisco 49ers beat the Giants 44-3. Lawrence Taylor is considered one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history. Though his career was filled with controversy, it was contrasted with iconic moments and outstanding play, making him our obvious choice for the most iconic #56 of all time.

#57 - Francisco Rodriguez (Honorable Mentions: Dwight Stephenson and Tom Jackson)

The most recently playing athlete in this week’s edition, “K-Rod” signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Angels in 1998. He made his major league debut in 2002 after several injuries to the Angels' rotation. He became a playoff hero as he won 5 playoff games despite never winning a regular-season game. Because of his prevalence in the postseason, hitters had no idea what to expect from Rodriguez, and his play propelled the Angels to a miraculous victory in the 2002 World Series over the San Francisco Giants. In 2004, Rodriguez was elected to his first All-Star Game and continued to backstop the Angels as a closer in the years following their championship. In 2006, he broke the record for being the youngest pitcher to accumulate 100 saves (later broken by Roberto Osuna of the Toronto Blue Jays), and 2 years later, he would break the record for the most saves in a single season with 62 saves in 2008. Rodriguez then became a journeyman, making his way to the New York Mets in a stint that was ruined by injuries and poor play, resulting in him being traded during the 2011 season to the Milwaukee Brewers. After 2 years in Milwaukee, he was briefly traded to Baltimore in 2013 and returned to Milwaukee the next year. In his final season in Milwaukee, Rodriguez became only the 17th pitcher in MLB history to finish 600 career games in 2015. He finished his MLB career in Detroit, during which he moved to 4th on MLB’s all-time saves list before retiring in 2017. Francisco Rodriguez was a constant closer in the MLB, and remains hall of fame eligible. While he isn’t a name most will think of when the question of “Who is the best modern closer?” comes to mind, it can’t be overlooked just how instrumental Rodriguez was to the franchises of the Angels and Brewers.

#58 - Jack Lambert (Honorable Mentions: Kris Letang and Derrick Thomas)

One guess what position Jack Lambert played. Despite many pro scouts believing that his size would restrain him from greatness in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers spent a 2nd round draft pick on Lambert in the 1974 NFL Draft. After taking the starting role in Bud Carson's legendary defense following an injury to Henry Davis, Lambert excelled in the league with his unique play style, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and propelling the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Despite an injury to teammate and future Hall-of-Famer Joe Greene, Lambert led the defense to postseason victories as they became repeat Super Bowl champions with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys. An injury-riddled 1976 eliminated their bid at NFL history with three consecutive championships, however, Lambert continued to play at a high level, and the Steelers were felled in the AFC Championship in 1976 and the divisional round of 1977. It was 1978 when they made their return to the big game, and they won another pair of Lombardi's in 1978 and 1979 against the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. The Steelers would miss the 1980 and 1981 playoffs, lose during the 1982 and 1983 playoffs, and lose in the 1984 AFC Championship game, after which Lambert would retire from the league. After becoming a broadcaster, Lambert received the ultimate honor of being inducted into Canton in 1990, and being named at 37th in The Athletic's "Top 100 Greatest NFL Players". Lambert played an instrumental role in one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, spearheading the Steel Curtain defense that became the face of the NFL in the late 70s, and becoming a name that Steelers fans will never forget.

#59 - Seth Joyner (Honorable Mentions: Jake Guentzel and Felix Hernandez)

This was easily the closest battle of the week; however, we believe that Felix Hernandez is not nearly known enough for his #59 to count, and Jake Guentzel is a name that doesn't have the same notoriety as others of the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion players, leaving us with Eagles legend and FS1 anaylst (and yet another linebacker) Seth Joyner. Joyner joined the league as an afterthought, being the 208th pick from the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1986 NFL draft. He was cut in training camp, but was re-signed to the Eagles later in the season. Joyner was a constant in Philadelphia, but his true showing of greatness came in 1991, when he was elected to his first Pro Bowl, voted to Second Team All-Pro, voted runner-up for NFL Defensive MVP, and voted as Sports Illustrated's NFL Player of the Year. Joyner closed out his last two years in Philadelphia with another Second Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl before traveling to the desert and the Arizona Cardinals. He would score his final Pro Bowl in his first year with the Cardinals, however, his play didn't sharply decline. He would close out his career with the Denver Broncos, winning the 1998 Super Bowl with the team before entering retirement. Seth Joyner may be a fringe hall-of-famer who gets his name lost among other great linebackers of the time, but he's Eagles royalty, and our top choice for the greatest #59 of all time.