The Most Iconic Athletes at Every Number (70-79)

Hello again from WLTL’s weekly sports blog. As time winds down, we have another solid connection of sports legends to highlight this week. With #70-79, welcome to another edition of WLTL’s most iconic athletes at every number.

#70 - Jim Marshall (Honorable Mentions: Braden Holtby and Zach Martin)

The only Viking to ever wear the number, Jim Marshall’s legacy was forever engraved because of one infamous moment, however, the career around the blunder was legendary in its own right. After starting in Cleveland, Marshall made his way to Minnesota in a five player trade just before the 1961 season. Marshall was a firm presence on the Vikings D-line, one of the founding members of the legendary “Purple People Eaters” unit that propelled the team to 4 Super Bowls, though he couldn’t capture the Lombardi a single time. Marshall’s most infamous moment occurred in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in 1964, where he recovered an offensive fumble and returned it into his own team’s endzone to score a safety for the opposing team. Marshall has since been immortalized in the moment; however, what shouldn’t be overlooked is a legendary career capstone with 2 Pro Bowls, 3 second-team All-Pros, and the NFL record for starting the most consecutive games with one team at 270.

#71 - Trent Williams (Honorable Mentions: Evgeni Malkin and Tony Boselli)

One of the scariest nicknames in sports history: “Silverback”. After being drafted out of Oklahoma, Trent Williams made his first start with the Washington Redskins in 2010. In only his 2nd year, Williams was named a co-captain of the offense, sharing the honor with wide receiver Santana Moss. While the team wasn’t able to sustain success during his tenure, Williams was a standout on the O-line, and his play earned him Pro Bowl nods year in and year out. As a fundamental though injury prone piece to the Redskins, Williams was traded to the Bay Area in 2020. Under Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Williams continued to play at a high level and led the 49ers to two straight NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. A surefire future Hall-of-Famer and 11-time Pro Bowler, “Silverback” is the modern face for the offensive lineman position, and his #71 has been the bane of pass rushers throughout the 2010s.

#72 - William Perry (Honorable Mentions: Carlton Fisk and Sergei Bobrovsky)

From one of the most threatening nicknames to one of the most iconic: “The Fridge”. After staying local at Clemson University, William Perry was hand-picked by Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka in the first round, though the pick did cause some division between Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. When Ryan refused to play him, Ditka instead started Perry at fullback, where fans became attached to the rookie as he scored a touchdown in “The Big Game” during the Bears’ run to the 1985 Super Bowl. He continued to play in the league for a decade, staying with the Bears until 1993, when he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a season. Despite struggling with weight throughout his career, Perry was a staple of the Bears organization and a much beloved player for the team, easily making him our top choice for the most iconic #72 in sports history.

#73 - Joe Thomas (Honorable Mentions: Joe Klecko and Tyler Toffoli)

The one good thing in Cleveland throughout his tenure with the team, Joe Thomas was the NFL’s “Ironman”. The only Hall-of-Famer after the 1999 reactivation of the franchise, the Wisconsin Badger was drafted third overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2007 NFL draft. Thomas won the starting left tackle job and was elected to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. He dominated the offensive line for a decade, starting in 10,363 consecutive snaps, which still stands as an NFL record. After a career-ending injury in 2017, Thomas declared for retirement at the end of the year. Thomas is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and Browns legend, with his 10 consecutive Pro Bowls, 6 first-team All-Pros, and 2 second-team All-Pros filling out an outstanding trophy cabinet for the icon. If only the teams around him were better.

#74 - Bob Lilly (Honorable Mentions: Kenley Jansen and Eloy Jimenez)

“Mr. Cowboy” himself is our pick for #74. Bob Lilly joined the Dallas Cowboys as the first ever draft choice in team history. He started as a defensive end in 1961, but was moved to the defensive tackle position in 1963 by Cowboys coach Tom Landry. He made the transition valiantly, and Lilly became the head honcho of the Cowboys’ “Doomsday Defense”. Lilly helped lead the Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 1970 and 1971, taking home the 1971 Lombardi with the squad. When he retired in 1974 after only missing a single NFL game, Lilly became the first Cowboy to be inscribed on the team’s ring of honor and made his way into Canton in his first year of eligibility in 1980. With 11 Pro Bowls and 7 first-team All-Pros to his name, Bob Lilly is one of the most iconic Cowboys of all time, and his play helped develop the “America’s Team” bravado that Dallas retains to this day.

#75 - Joe Greene (Honorable Mentions: Deacon Jones and Jonathan Ogden)

What is there to say about “Mean” Joe Greene? Charles Edward Green (nicknamed Joe by his aunt for his resemblance to Joe Louis) earned his “Mean” nickname when he played at the University of North Texas, a school whose primary green coloring led to Greene adopting the iconic (though personally hated by Greene himself) name. With the fourth pick in the 1969 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers desperately needed defensive pieces, so they took Greene straight away. Despite the team finishing with a single victory, Greene would be awarded with Defensive Rookie of the Year and elected to his first ever Pro Bowl. It was in the 1970s that he would truly rise to prominence, as Greene spearheaded the legendary “Steel Curtain” defense, which propelled the Steelers to 4 Super Bowl victories. When he retired in 1981, Greene retired as a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, 5-time first team All-Pro, 3-time second team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowler, and the 1979 NFL Man of the Year. Greene’s legendary tenure in the NFL cemented him as a household name for generations, and his name is one that always comes up when people mention the most iconic NFL players in league history.

#76 - Steve McMichael (Honorable Mentions: P.K. Subban and Orlando Pace)

A theme with this group has been nicknames, and “Mongo” is no different. Steve McMichael was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 1980 NFL Draft, however, he was cut from the team in the following season, leading to him being signed by the Chicago Bears as a free agent. McMichael was well renowned as one of the toughest players in the NFL, and his play at the defensive tackle position played a large part in the legendary Bears defense that dominated opponents en route to the 1985 Super Bowl, where McMichael would get revenge on the team that drafted him with a 46-10 beatdown of the Patriots. McMichael played at a high level with the team until 1993, when he left for Green Bay and later the WWE. One of the greatest Bears of all-time, the 2-time Pro Bowler, 2-time second team All-Pro, and 2-time first team All-Pro was a dominant force on the defensive line throughout his tenure in the NFL, and we honor his legacy as a Chicago legend in light of his recent passing on April 23rd. 

#77 - Ray Bourque (Honorable Mentions: Red Grange and T.J. Oshie)

A legend at the position of defense, Ray Bourque started his career dressed in the #7 for the Boston Bruins, winning the Calder Trophy in 1979 and becoming the first ever non-goaltender to become an All-Star and All-NHL first team in his rookie season. In 1985, he would take over the responsibilities of captain of the club and would become the longest-serving captain in NHL history (until Steve Yzerman surpassed him with the Detroit Red Wings). 1987 saw him make the switch from his #7 to his now iconic #77 with the Bruins’ retirement of Phil Esposito’s number, and Bourque would keep the #77 throughout the remainder of his career. While the team failed to capture the Stanley Cup in his long tenure with the team, Bourque remained a consistent presence with the Bruins and took home 5 Norris Trophies, alongside finishing second to Mark Messier for the 1990 Hart Memorial Trophy in the closest vote in league history. While he was loved by Bostonians for never leaving the city, eventually the team’s plummet in the standings and personal issues forced him to request a trade, as he made his way to a newly founded Colorado Avalanche. It was with the team that he finally captured the Stanley Cup, and team captain Patrick Roy awarded him the first skate with the trophy. After the Cup victory, Bourque paraded the trophy back in Boston for 20,000 longtime fans as he announced his retirement just after the ceremony. A legend of the NHL, Ray Bourque revolutionized how defencemen play the game of hockey, and he was the easy choice for the most iconic #77 of all time.

#78 - Anthony Munoz (Honorable Mentions: Bruce Smith and Marc Pouliot)

Arguably the greatest offensive tackle in league history, Anthony Munoz was drafted third overall in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite a troubled injury history in his early years of play, Munoz would only miss 3 games during his stint in the NFL. After taking the starting job as a rookie, Munoz would start 13 seasons in the NFL with the Bengals, taking home 11 Pro Bowls, 9 first-team All-Pros, and the 1991 NFL Man of the Year. While the Bengals never won the Lombardi in his time, he still was a dominant presence that propelled the team to two appearances in the Super Bowl, falling both times to Joe Montana’s 49ers. The hall-of-famer was a stalwart on the o-line, and an inspiration for many who followed him at the position, making him our choice for the top #78 in sports history.

#79 - Jose Abreu (Honorable Mentions: Andre Markov and Roosevelt Brown)

A former member of the White Sox and Astros, Jose Abreu was given #79 by his mother, who told him that the unusual number choice would help him get noticed more by pro scouts. After playing in Cuban baseball leagues, Abreu defected to the United States in 2013 to chase a career as an MLB star. Abreu joined the Chicago White Sox and was named the Rookie of the Year in 2014. His play was consistently exceptional for the remainder of the decade, as he was viewed by many as the long-standing piece on a struggling White Sox team. 2020 was a massive step up for Abreu, as he took home the AL MVP award as one of only four players from the team to ever win the honor in the team’s long history. Abreu kept up his form with the White Sox, however, his play saw a decline in the final two years of his tenure, leading to him signing for the Houston Astros. While his stay in Texas got off to an explosive start, a sharp falloff in 2024 saw him get let go in the offseason. Despite his roller coaster career, Jose Abreu is one of the most notable players in the MLB, especially for White Sox fans. The 3-time All-Star and Silver Slugger, and 2-time league RBI leader may be forever trapped in the “Hall of Very Good”, but he is still our top choice for the most iconic #79 of all time.