& "Add to Home Screen" / Dallas Mavericks - Oklahoma City Thunder
Basketball. USA: NBA
Who wore number 33 in NFL
The number 33 is another offensive range from 1 to 49. It’s accessible to running backs and wide receivers. In 2023, this number became accessible to linebackers. The cases when defensive players wore number 33 earlier were rare. Thus, we’ll explore who opened the history of number 33 in the NFL and retired number 33 because the player was famous enough.
Retired numbers 33
Only two teams retired number 33 to memorize the talented players. But Stone Johnson was exempt because he didn’t start his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He met with a vertebra in his neck, which caused his sudden death. Despite the player being on the preseason active roster, the Chiefs retired his number. Washington Commanders retired 33 in memory of Sammy Baugh, who played there from 1937 to 1952.
The first player with the number 33 in NFL
Earl Evans joined Chicago Cardinals in 1925. He performed as a left tackle there. As number 33, he recovered one fumble and scored a touchdown. Later, he continued his career with the Chicago Bears, where he was active till 1929. His overall statistic needs to be present.
Quizzes. Biographies of athletes
The last player who wore number 33 before AV implementation
The quarterback John Roach got number 33 in the Chicago Cardinals after his return from the US Air Force service in 1959. He collected 340 yards and scored 2 passing touchdowns in that season. Later, he returned to his previous number 12 when the Cardinals moved to St. Louis the next season.
Top-5 players with highest AV
Tony Dorsett – 137 AV
Dallas Cowboys immediately picked Tony Dorsett in the 1977 Draft. They needed an athletic running back with ambitions to lead the detachment. And Dorset proved the trust. He helped his team to win the Super Bowl in his debut season. AP named him the best rookie of the season. Unfortunately, the Cowboys didn’t succeed to win the back-to-back title. Dorsett continued to gain at least 1000 rushing yards each season. In 1981, he competed for MVP title but took only third place. He also lost voting for the best offensive player to Ken Anderson that season. However, the league invited him to the first All-Pro team in 1981. Dorsett had a couple of appearances in AP2. The player also got some professional awards during their career. He participated in the Pro Bowl four times. He retired in 1988, spending the final season in the Denver Broncos. Dorset is the author of the first 99-yard rushing touchdown in NFL history (1983, regular game vs. Vikings). The event happened in the fourth quarter and helped the Cowboys reduce the trail to four points. The player was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, but his number remains in the circuit. So, the next owner of the number will have great responsibility and honour.
Roger Craig – 109 AV
This player wore number 33 in all teams he played till his retirement. Roger Craig had a similar record as Tony Dorsett – 4 Pro Bowls and 1 All-Pro appearance, but he didn’t ballot to the Hall of Fame. The San Francisco 49ers picked him late in the second round of the 1983 Draft. During his tenure there, the running back scored 6 to 9 rushing touchdowns in regular games. Craig also scored at least 1 TD in the playoffs. Interestingly, they played in every playoff except the 1991 appearance when he failed to qualify for the wild card round with the Raiders. But his three Super Bowls happened in 1983, 1989 and 1990, when he was part of the 49ers. He retired in 1993 from the Vikings.
Ronnie Harmann – 81 AV
Buffalo Bills picked the running back Ronnie Harmann in the first round of the 1986 Draft. He was a unique performer because he scored more receiving touchdowns than rushing ones in regular games – 24 compared to 10. The player released them regularly until last season in 1997, when he played in two teams – the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans. The player had only one Pro Bowl appearance in 1992. He retired in 1997.
- We make dozens of free sports predictions every day.
Charles Tillman – 79 AV
The player was the second draft pick of the Chicago Bears. Charles Tillman was the nominal defensive back but acted as cornerback. He generated two to 5 seasonal interceptions annually, but only 8 ended with touchdowns. Tillman scored 3 TD at his peak in 2012. Besides, he scored his single fumble recovery in 2006. The player participated in the 2012 AP1 and 2 Pro Bowls. He finished his career in 2015 after a season with the Panthers.
Reggie Rucker – 74 AV
The wide receiver Reggie Bucker had a hard fate. During the first two seasons, he changed three teams – first, he played for the Dallas Cowboys, who signed the undrafted player in 1970. He played a part of the next season there and appeared in the New York Giants via New England Patriots. He returned to the Patriots for the 1972-1974 seasons until he joined the Cleveland Broncos, where he remained until retirement. This game affected his performance. Sometimes, the league nominated him to compete for prizes, but that didn’t help. His best achievement is the Super Bowl in 1970 with the Cowboys.