29 athletes who wore the number 29

If you are of a certain age and you think of a football player who wears 29, the first name that comes to mind is likely Dickerson's. He also comes to mind if you think of a football player who wore sports goggles. The Hall of Famer once rushed for 2,015 yards in a season, which is still an NFL record.

Jackson bounced around the NFL, wearing 29 at all but one stop, but the receiver was able to make an impact more often than not. He led the league in receiving yards twice and touchdowns once. The year he led the league in receiving TDs with the Rams, when he had 13 in only 14 games, he was named an All-Pro for the one time in his career.

A lot of defensive backs wore the number 29, and Lewis had perhaps the best career of the bunch, at least among cornerbacks. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, he was maybe the best defensive back in the NFL. Lewis made four Pro Bowls in a row and two All-Pro teams as well. He’s a legend for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Madison locked down opposing receivers for the Dolphins at the turn of the millennium. Like Lewis, Madison made four straight Pro Bowls and back-to-back All-Pro teams. He also once led the league in interceptions, with seven, one year after having eight.

Right now, Thomas is the standard for players wearing 29. By the time he retires, he will likely at least be the best defensive player to wear that number. If not for injuries, that would probably already be considered the case, because when he plays, he’s as good of a safety as you will find. The longtime Seahawk, whose time with Seattle didn’t end ideally, is now plying his trade with the Ravens, where he just made his seventh Pro Bowl.

Running backs often have short careers, and Murray is no different. He shined brightly for one glorious season in 2014. Murray led the NFL in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns for the Cowboys, being named the Offensive Player of the Year. He had one more 1,000-yard season after that, but Murray was out of the league before even playing in 100 career games.

Speaking of running backs, Addai was never the big name on his offense, as he played alongside guys like Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. However, the LSU product was no slouch. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and was also a weapon in the receiving game. Addai won a Super Bowl as a rookie, and arguably his career never got better than that.

What could have been. Berry had the skills to be the best safety in the NFL. A few times he arguably was, as he was named an All-Pro three times. Alas, his career was derailed by injury and illness, including a bout with cancer that he thankfully won. It seems that Berry’s time in the NFL is over, too soon at that, but he burned bright when he could.

It’s hard to be a star in Cincinnati, and Hall was an underrated defensive back during his nine seasons there. He picked up 26 interceptions with the Bengals and also defended 112 passes. Hall once led the NFL in passes defensed with 24, though he never made the Pro Bowl.

The ‘80s were a great decade for Dixon. His entire career ran from 1981 through 1989, all with the Browns. The defensive back picked off 26 passes in his career, made three Pro Bowls and was also an All-Pro twice. Dixon was quietly one of the best cornerbacks of the ‘80s.

Turner was a star at UCLA, where he wore No. 29. He’s considered not just one of the best players in Bruins history but also arguably the top college player to ever wear that number. The safety kept No. 29 into his NFL career where he showed a ton of potential as well. In 1994 he led the NFL with nine interceptions and was both a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. Sadly, Turner died unexpectedly in 2000 from a case of stomach cancer that was not publicly known.

Beltre is pretty clearly the top batter to wear 29. He played a whopping 21 years and will most likely make the Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible. While he will always be remembered for his breakout 2004 campaign when he hit 48 homers for the Dodgers as an impending free agent, the third baseman proved to be no fluke. In addition to finishing with a career .286 batting average, he also won five Gold Gloves.

Beltre may be the best player to ever wear 29, but Carew is the best hitter to do so. His seven batting titles are a testament to that. While he wasn’t a power hitter — he played in a different era — he did spread hits all over the field. That helped him to make 18 All-Star Games, not to mention win an AL MVP.

Talk about a workhorse. Lolich once led the American League with 45 games started and 29 complete games. He also led the majors in strikeouts that same year with 308. In 1968, Lolich was key to the Tigers winning the World Series. He started three games, winning all three of them while posting a 1.67 ERA. Needless to say, he was the World Series MVP.

He had the great nickname “Crime Dog.” He was in those Tom Emanski ads. When it came to his play, though, McGriff was a borderline Hall of Famer on the field. Though he wore 19 when his career began and 27 when he was with the Braves, during the rest of his career he wore 29. If not for baseball’s obsession with round numbers, and the fact McGriff retired with 493 career homers, he may have made the Hall.

Now you know why McGriff didn’t wear 29 with the Braves. Somebody else was already sporting it, and he happens to be the best pitcher to wear that number. Smoltz began his career as a great starter, winning a Cy Young, before transitioning to the bullpen where he also was dominant. He once led the majors with 55 saves. Then he became a starter again, making two more All-Star Games.

In a different era, Singleton’s game would have been more appreciated. He finished his career with a .388 on-base percentage and once led the majors with a .425 OBP. The guy knew how to work a walk, but he could hit as well. Singleton made three All-Star Games, and in his penultimate season he won a World Series with the Orioles.

Known for his funky delivery, Quisenberry was a dominant relief pitcher in his day. He led the American League in games played as a pitcher three times and in saves five times. The long-time Royal also finished in the top five in the Cy Young voting five times and even once finished third in the MVP voting.

Hunter spent the bulk of his career with the Athletics, where he had his greatest success and also wore the number 27. However, after that he spent five seasons with the Yankees where he donned 29. Those seasons weren’t as impressive for the Hall of Famer, but he did make an All-Star Game in New York.

Here’s something nobody else can say: Dryden won the Conn Smythe the season BEFORE he won the Calder for Rookie of the Year. That’s because he took over for the Canadiens in goal before he had lost his rookie eligibility. He then went on to win five Vezinas in the seven full seasons of his career. Yes, Dryden played only seven seasons, and then he decided to retire young. Still, he made the Hall of Fame.

A lot of goalies have worn 29 over the years — it’s traditionally a goalie’s number — so you will see a few netminders on this list. That includes Fleury, who has played 16 years in the NHL, having debuted as an 18-year-old after being the first overall draft pick. Fleury does have three Stanley Cup rings with Pittsburgh and also helped the Golden Knights make it to the Stanley Cup Final as an expansion team.

MacKinnon is pretty clearly the top non-goalie to wear 29. Like Fleury, he was a first overall pick, and he’s turned himself into one of the best offensive players in the NHL. While the Avalanche center doesn’t have an MVP yet, that could change as soon as this season.

For a lot of years, Otto was the best forward to don the number 29. He started wearing it as a rookie with the Flames in 1984 and kept it until he retired as a Flyer in 1998. Otto never got much award love— he finished in the top five in the Selke voting a few times but that was it —but he still finished with 508 career points, which is not too shabby.

Pominville just retired, so we know he will never wear anything other than the number 29. The forward had two 30-goal seasons as a Sabre and then one more with the Wild for good measure. He ended up with 293 goals in his career to go with 434 assists, and he made it into one All-Star Game.

Naturally he was nicknamed “The Cat,” but Potvin earned that moniker for more than his first name. His quick reflexes swiftly made him a star for the Maple Leafs, where he spent the bulk of his career. Potvin made two All-Star Games and led the league in GAA once. While not quite a Hall-of-Fame talent, Potvin was one of the best goalies of his generation, which is impressive.

Vernon didn’t wear 29 when he led the Flames to a Stanley Cup in 1989. He did wear it when he won the Conn Smythe in leading the Red Wings to their first Cup in over 40 years. That guaranteed he would forever be remembered as a goalie who wore 29, at least in Detroit. Vernon proceeded to wear that number for the rest of his career.

Vokoun was with the Predators from the beginning of their franchise and quickly became their starter. He was also one of the first stars the franchise produced, as he emerged as a top goalie in the NHL. That remained true when he moved on to Florida, and then he ended his career chasing rings with the Capitals and Penguins. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to get one, but he is in the top 20 in career save percentage (bearing in mind how much harder it was to stop pucks back in the day).

Only two notable basketball players wore 29 with any regularity, and one of them is mostly remembered for being a bust. Ellison was the first overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft, but he never really panned out. He may have been “Never Nervous Pervis,” but on the court the only thing he ever did of note was win Most Improved Player once. He finished his career averaging 9.5 points per game, but he’ll always be able to say he was the top draft pick.

Silas is better known as a coach, but he’s also definitely the best NBA player to ever wear 29. Playing from the ‘60s through the entirety of the ‘70s, Silas made only two All-Star Games, in part because his calling card was defense. The future coach made five All-Defense teams, which helped three of his squads win NBA titles.