Philip Pierre-Louis - WR - Auburn

BCS Champion

Javarris James - RB - Indianapolis Colts

Javarris James of the Indianapolis Colts proudly sports The Number as he celebrates his second quarter touchdown run against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 7, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Darren Sharper - S - New Orleans Saints

Super Bowl XLIV Champ #42 Darren Sharper!

 

 

Brian Russell - S - Houston Texans

Brian Russell out of San Diego State was named All-Mountain West honorable mention as a senior DB after making the transition from QB to DB midway through his junior season.  Russell redshirted as a freshman after transferring from Penn in 1997. 

In 2001 Russell spent entire season on Minnesota's practice squad after signing as a rookie free agent.  In 2009, he proudly sported The Number for the Houston Texans.

Ian Johnson - RB - Minnesota Vikings

Ian Johnson, who made college football history by scoring dramatic 2-point conversion in OT in 43-42 upset win over Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl following 2006 season now proudly sports The Number on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.  Johnson is seen here in a 2009 preseason game against the Colts.

Ben Burney - S - Colorado

From the 2009 Colorado-Nebraska game in Boulder, Colorado:

 #42, senior safety Ben Burney and #65, back-up long snapper Austin Bisnow.

Dick Kazmaier - Princeton - RB

Compliments of Sod Boy we give you 1951 Heisman Trophy Winner Dick Kazmaier.

Dick Hoak - RB - Pittsburgh Steelers

Richard "Dick" Hoak proudly sported The Number for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1961 to 1970 after an illustrious career at Penn State.

Chosen by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft, Hoak had an impressive career, amassing 3,965 rushing yards in 1132 attempts (3.5 avg) with 25 touchdowns. He also caught 146 passes for 1,452 yards (9.9 avg) and 8 touchdowns. He was named to one Pro Bowl and led the team in rushing three times.

Lowe Wren Jr - Pittsburgh Steelers - DB

Lowe "Junior" Wren sported The Number for one season, 1960, for the Black and Gold. Junior was a defensive back out of the University of Missouri. Junior also sported The Number for 4 years in Cleveland before arriving in Pittsburgh.

James Farrior - LB - Virginia

Look who was sporting The Number back in the day at UVA!

James Farrior, two time Super Bowl champ with the Pittsburgh Steelers, played at the University of Virginia from 1993 to 1996 before being drafted in the first round of the 1997 draft by the New York Jets.

Dick Alban - Pittsburgh Steelers - DB

After having been drafted in the 9th round of the 1952 draft by the Washington Redskins and playing 4 years in Washington, Dick Alban played 4 years for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Alban attended Northwestern. He finished his pro career with 30 interceptions. He proudly sported The Number in both Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. which makes him a personal favorite of this blogger.



Alban was born January 17, 1929 in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Super Bowl XLII

In all the hoopla of Super Bowl 42 +1, I seem to have forgotten to pay tribute to Super Bowl XLII where it was proven that you can't cheat your way to perfection.

Giants 17 - Cheaters 14

Lorenzo Neal - FB - Baltimore Ravens

Originally selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 4th round (89th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft out of Fresno State, Lorenzo Neal has bounced around the league from the Saints to the Jets to the Buccaneers to the Titans to the Bengals to the Chargers.

He was unable to find a home until he found The Number in Baltimore in 2008. The Ravens signed Neal before the 2008 season after he had been waived by the Chargers in February of the same year. Here Neal is shown proudly sporting The Number he searched so long for.

Keith Goganious - LB - Penn State

Another Nittany Lions to proudly sport The Number was Keith Lorenzo Goganious. Goganious went on from Penn State to be drafted in the 3rd round by the Buffalo Bills with the 83rd overall pick in the NFL Draft. Goganious played linebacker in the NFL for five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Baltimore Ravens. He is currently serving as linebacker coach at Hampton University.

Lenny Moore - RB - Penn State

The Reading Rocket sported The Number for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1953 through the 1955 before being drafted by the Baltimore Colts as their first round choice in 1956. In Baltimore Moore had a bit of dyslexia and ended up with 24 and not The Number.

Moore retired after the 1967 season. His uniform number (24) was retired by Baltimore, and in 1969 a sportswriters' poll named him to the NFL's 50th Anniversary Team. In 1975, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and in 1999, Moore was ranked number 71 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Ricky Bell - RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ricky Bell was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first overall pick in 1977 as a running back out of the USC, where he was an All-American running back. John McKay chose him over Tony Dorsett who went to the Cowboys with the second selection in that year's draft. Bell sported The Number for the Buccaneers from 1977-1981.

On December 29, 1979, Bell led the Buccaneers to a 27-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and their first playoff game victory in team history by rushing for one hundred and, you guessed it, forty-two yards and 2 touchdowns on 37 carries.

Bell died November 28, 1984 of heart failure caused by dermatomyositis at the age of 29. Mario Van Peebles portrayed the player in the made for television movie, "A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story," which was based on Bell's illness.

Super Bowl XLII?

Well actually it is Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals but Quattro Due thought the picture looked better cropped this way.

The Pittsburgh Steelers - Super Bowl XLII plus I Champions

Ryan Clark celebrates as James Harrison catches his breath after the longest play in Super Bowl history.

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Pat Tillman - S - Arizona State Sun Devils

Given the Arizona Cardinals pending appearance in Super Bowl XLIII this Sunday, this is probably the proper time for Pat Tillman to make his appearance here on 42.

Tillman, an Army Ranger who passed up a multimillion dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals to serve his country was killed in Afghanistan in 2004. Prior to his all to brief stint in the NFL he patrolled the defensive backfield for Arizona State from 1994 through 1997, helping the Sun Devils to the 1997 Rose Bowl.

After the conclusion of the 2004 Arizona State football season, the The Number no longer appears on the Sun Devil roster as the jersey worn by Pat Tillman was retired. Connor Banks, a senior defensive end from Richmond, California, wore The Number for the Sun Devils during the 2004 season as a tribute to Tillman. Prior to each game, Banks carried the American flag out of the team tunnel and onto Frank Kush Field.

On Saturday, April 15, 2006, more than 10,000 participants turned out for Pat's Run in Tempe, Arizona. The racers traveled along the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) course around Tempe Town Lake to the finish line, on the 42-yard (38 m) line of Sun Devil Stadium.

Erick Brock - DB - Atlanta Falcons

Signed by Atlanta on May 19, 2008 out of Auburn, Erick Brock finished fifth on the Tigers defense with 59 tackles in 2007 while setting a season-high with eight stops against LSU. Brock finished fourth on the team in tackles with 50 in 2006 and tied for third on the team with five tackles against Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl.

Born on April 4, 1985 Brock attended Benjamin Russell High School (Alabama) and finished with 84 tackles, six interceptions and four blocked punts as a senior. He helped lead his team to a 13-2 record and 5A state championship as a junior and a 10-3 record as a senior.

He now proudly sports The Number for the Atlanta Falcons.