The Most Iconic Athletes at Every Number (60-69)

Hello again from WLTL’s weekly sports blog. This week’s edition features what is easily the most researched squad of athletes so far, with several requiring personal deep dives to uncover great careers forgotten to history. With #60-69, welcome to another week of WLTL’s most iconic athletes at every number.

#60 - Otto Graham (Honorable Mentions: Chuck Bednarik and Tommy Nobis)

The last good Browns quarterback was from the 50s, huh? After playing college ball with his local Northwestern Wildcats, Otto Graham was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC. After briefly joining the Navy during WW2, Graham rejoined the Browns training camp after being discharged from the military and led the team to a 12-2 record. His arrival kicked off an era of dominance for the Browns as the team won 4 straight championships from 1946 to 1949. His “automatic” passing only continued as the Browns joined the NFL in 1950 and beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Championship in their first ever season. Graham closed out his career at the top with a run at back-to-back NFL Championships in 1954 and 1955, the latter of which also saw him win his third NFL MVP award, fourth first-team All-Pro honors, and his fifth Pro Bowl. To this day, Graham holds the NFL records for most career yards per passing attempt (8.6) and highest career winning percentage by a quarterback (0.813), and his legacy was firmly defined as the first superstar quarterback in NFL history, laying the groundwork for generations at the position to follow. If only his franchise honored his legacy a bit better on the field.

#61 - Rick Nash (Honorable Mentions: Bill George and Mark Stone)

When a team with a short history doesn’t experience much success, it only makes its stars shine brighter. Rick Nash was taken first overall in the 2002 Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored a goal en route to a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in his first-ever game. While he lost out on the Calder, his next year would see him become the youngest player to ever lead the league in scoring at just 19 years old. After some injury trouble following the NHL lockout in 2005, Nash got back on track with a Western Conference All-Star nomination in 2007. His 2008 campaign would be his most successful yet, as he notched what fans dubbed “The Goal of the Year” against the Arizona Coyotes, was awarded his third All-Star Game appearance, and was named captain of the Blue Jackets. His leadership helped Columbus make their first playoff berth, however, they were swept by the eventual champions, the Detroit Red Wings. As the Blue Jackets continued to make steps back, Nash made the honorable decision to waive his “no-trade clause” in the hopes that management might be able to improve the team with his departure, leading to his stay with the New York Rangers. With a strong team around him, Nash excelled with the Rangers and led them to the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost in five games to the 2012 champion Los Angeles Kings, and nearly brought them back for revenge in 2015 before falling in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. 2017 saw Nash become only the 312th player in the league’s long history to play 1000 games, however, his performance saw a sharp falloff, leading him to Boston for his final season in the league after a concussion would put a permanent end to his career. The two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada played a large role in the development of the Columbus franchise, and his noble departure led to the development of a new young core for the team as they transitioned into a new era. He holds the distinction of being the first and only player with their number retired by the Blue Jackets, and his time in New York only adds to his legacy as one of the best NHL players of the 2000s and 2010s, and easily the greatest #61 of all time.

#62 - Jim Langer (Honorable Mentions: Curtis Crider and Carl Hagelin)

After graduating from South Dakota State University, Jim Langer was breifly signed to the Cleveland Browns as a free agent, however he was cut during training camp, leading to him joining the Miami Dolphins in 1970. While he played sparingly in his first two seasons behind center Bob DeMarco, he was bumped to the starting role in 1972, allowing him to see every offensive snap of the Dolphins’ perfect 17-0 1972 season. When the Dolphins repeated in 1973, Langer began his run of 6-straight Pro Bowls and 6-straight first or second team All-Pro selections. He was on pace to continue his dominance, but a knee injury sidelined him 9 games into the 1979 season. Wanting to play for his home team, Langer started his final 2 seasons for the Minnesota Vikings before retiring in 1981. Jim Langer is forever remembered as the greatest center of the 1970s, and his contributions towards two Super Bowl rosters put him in the Hall of Fame and into our list as the greatest #62 in sports history.

#63 - Gene Upshaw (Honorable Mentions: Brad Marchand and George Russell)

After playing multiple positions in college, Gene Upshaw settled on left offensive guard when he joined the Oakland Raiders in 1967, where the team would lose the Super Bowl in his rookie year. Upshaw quickly became a household name for Raiders fans, as he began notching several individual awards. Paired with teammates Dave Dalby and George Buehler, Upshaw and the Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl in 1976 over the Minnesota Vikings. Like many superstars in the league, Upshaw would end at the top, becoming the first player to win a Super Bowl in three decades as the team would win the 1981 Super Bowl over the Philadelphia Eagles, as Upshaw entered retirement. Upshaw’s legacy is defined by his contribution to several of the NFL’s greatest moments,  like “Red Right 88”, “Ghost to the Post”, and “The Sea of Hands”. Upshaw is fondly remembered as one of the greatest Raiders of all time.

#64 - Jerry Kramer (Honorable Mentions: Elmo Langley and Randall McDaniel)

The 39th selection in the 1958 NFL Draft, Jerry Kramer was selected by the Green Bay Packers, where a miserable rookie campaign was remedied with the arrival of Vince Lombardi in 1959. With skilled play at the positions of guard and kicker, Kramer was part of a legendary Packers squad that won 5 NFL Championships and the first 2 Super Bowls from 1961 to 1968. While he had an injury-riddled career, Kramer’s play got him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his play as a Packer legend has given him a legacy as the golden standard for offensive line players of the 1960s, and an unforgettable member of one of the greatest units in NFL history.

#65 - Gary Zimmerman (Honorable Mentions: Erik Karlsson and Lane Johnson)

When you think of 90s offensive linemen, it's hard not to think of Gary Zimmerman. Drafted 36th overall by the USFL’s Los Angeles Express, Zimmerman jumped ship from the league in 1986 to join the Minnesota Vikings, where he would win 2 first-team All-Pros and be elected to 4 Pro Bowls. Well known for his distrust of the media and drawing the ire of teammates, he jumped ship from Minnesota for the Mile High City. As the lone veteran on the offensive line, Zimmerman quickly became the leader of the Broncos' front line and protected star John Elway as the team rose to become a major playoff contender in the 1990s. He would win 2 second-team All-Pros, a third first-team All-Pro, be elected to 3 Pro Bowls, and reach the peak of the mountain with a 1997 Super Bowl victory over the Green Bay Packers. As a member of both the 1980s and 1990s all-decade teams, Gary Zimmerman is a noteworthy lineman, and his induction into Canton in 2008 only cements his place as our choice for the most iconic #65 in sports history.

#66 - Mario Lemieux (Honorable Mentions: Ray Nitschke and Trent Alexander-Arnold)

To honor his inspiration, “The Great One”, Mario Lemieux decided to take Gretsky’s iconic #99 and flip it upside down when he debuted in the NHL in 1984. On his first-ever shift for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lemieux stole the puck from Hall-of-Famer Ray Bourque and scored with his first-ever NHL shot against Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Peter Peeters. Despite missing 7 games, Lemieux easily won the Calder trophy with 100 points, and also was the first rookie to be the MVP of the NHL All-Star Game. His early years were spent just barely trailing behind Wayne Gretzky for league scoring titles as the Penguins were unable to surround him with a competent roster. His 1988 season was his most iconic, as Lemieux came the closest of any one player to touching any of Gretzky’s 200-point seasons as he finished the year with 199. He led the league with 114 assists and finished a close second with Gretzky for the Hart Trophy. An injury in 1989 derailed his season, however, he came back with a vengeance in 1990 and led the Penguins with a nearly record-breaking 44 playoff points (the record is 47 by Gretzky in 1985) as they won their first Stanley Cup over the Minnesota North Stars and Lemieux easily took home the Conn Smythe Trophy. It was deja vu in 1991, as Lemieux once again came back from an early injury to dominate the league and win a second Conn Smythe as Pittsburgh beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final. He started the following season off strong, however, Lemieux announced that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and missed two months of the season. Despite it all, Lemieux kept playing at a high level and even earned a standing ovation from the rival Philadelphia Flyers crowd during a game, as the Penguins won the President’s Trophy with a franchise record 119 points. While the team was defeated by the President’s Trophy curse, another disaster would befall Lemieux as he departed the league again in 1993 for further recovery following his radiation treatment. He returned to the league for the 1995 season and became the second fastest player to record 500 goals in their career, taking home the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy for the season. Lemieux called a career in 1997, playing his final game in his hometown of Montreal, where he received a standing ovation from the rival crowd. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately after his retirement, becoming the ninth player in league history to have the mandatory three-year waiting period waived. Lemieux made a grand return to the game in 2000 and continued to play up until 2006 as an owner and player of the Pittsburgh Penguins before transitioning into the ownership role in 2007, coinciding with the team becoming an Eastern Conference juggernaut in the NHL. Mario Lemieux is one of the few NHL players who can rival the influence of Wayne Gretzky, and his legendary stint in the NHL makes him an unforgettable member of NHL history.

#67 - Bob Kuechenburg (Honorable Mentions: Bud Arrington and Seth Lugo)

Brought into the Dolphins as a free agent in 1970, Bob Kuechenberg immediately worked his way into the Dolphins rotation, leading them to a Super Bowl berth in 1971, where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys. It was in the following years where Kuechenberg truly excelled, as the Dolphins would avenge their 1971 campaign with back-to-back Super Bowl victories, and Kuechenberg would be nominated for a second team All-Pro, 2 first team All-Pros, and 6 Pro Bowls before retiring in 1984. While Kuechenberg will be forever trapped in the Hall of Very Good, Kuechenberg is one of the more well-known members of the legendary 72 Dolphins, and his contributions to the team’s two championships cement his legacy as one of the best guards of his era and the most iconic #67 in sports history.

#68 - Jaromir Jagr (Honorable Mentions: Albert Pujols and L.C. Greenwood)

A true journeyman, the story behind Jagr’s legendary number is one of tragedy. The Czech native wears the number to honor his late grandfather, who was an unfortunate victim of the 1968 Prague Spring uprising in Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, after which Soviet Secret Police captured and killed hundreds of Czech rebels. As the first non-North American defecting player to be taken in the NHL draft, Jagr began his career in Pittsburgh as a supporting piece to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992, becoming one of the youngest players to ever score in the finals at the age of 20. 1994 saw him take home the league’s Art Ross Trophy, and he set records for right wingers for assists and points in 1995 that have stood the test of time. From 1997, after the retirement of Mario Lemieux, Jagr would win 4 straight league scoring titles, alongside the 1999 NHL MVP, and a gold medal for the Czech Republic in the 1998 Olympic Games. Jagr’s stay in Pittsburgh ended with unsuccessful playoff runs, and as criticism over his relationship with head coach Ivan Hlinka, Jagr departed for Washington. The Capitals heavily overpaid on Jagr, and when the team didn’t experience much playoff success, he and many top-end talent were shipped out to make room in the salary cap. He made his way to the New York Rangers, where Jagr maintained his high level of play for 5 seasons in the Big Apple. After a brief stint abroad in the KHL, Jagr returned stateside in 2011 with the incumbent Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers. His second stint in the league kicked off his team-hopping era, as Jagr left Philly for Dallas, followed by Boston, New Jersey, Florida, and finally Calgary, after which he left the NHL for his hometown team in Czechoslovakia. A surefire future Hall-of-Famer, Jagr currently sits 2nd in career points in NHL history, and his legendary trophy cabinet comprises two Stanley Cups, six Art Ross Trophies, a Hart Trophy, a Masterson Award, 13 All-Stars, and 7 all-NHL first-teams. Jagr is a legend of the late 90s and 2000s, and our easy choice for the most iconic #68 in sports history.

#69 - Jared Allen (Honorable Mentions: Tim Krumrie and Bronson Arroyo)

The final athlete for this week’s edition, Jared Allen was arguably the best sleeper pick from the 2004 NFL Draft. He began his career in Kansas City and stayed with the team until 2008, when he ventured north to Minnesota. His career took off as he joined a high-powered Minnesota defence, which made the NFC Championship in 2009, where they fell to the New Orleans Saints. Allen made his way to Chicago in 2014, where he transitioned to the outside linebacker position. Despite signing a four-year contract, he was traded to Carolina in 2015, where he joined a strong defence headlined by Luke Kuechly, which made a run to the 2015 Super Bowl, where they were defeated by the Denver Broncos. Allen retired in the following offseason, with a ceremonial one-day contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Though he had an understated career, the 2025 Canton inductee amassed five Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pros, and was twice the NFL’s sacks leader. Jared Allen is remembered fondly as one of the 50 Greatest Vikings of all time, and easily our choice for the top #69 in sports history.