This the next in my continuing series of articles of the best Green Bay Packers players of all-time by jersey number. This includes players from all 101 years of Packers football. Over the course of the franchise’s history, some of the greatest players in NFL history have suited up for the Packers and made their mark on the team and the league.
This article will examine numbers 90-95. You can find 1-5 here, 6-10 here, 11-15 here, 16-20 here, 21-25 here, 26-30 here, 31-35 here, 36-40 here, 41-45 here, 46-50 here, 51-55 here, 56-60 here, 61-65 here 66-70 here, 71-75 here, 76-80 here, 81-85 here and 86-90 here.
Keep in mind the players are listed by how they performed for the Packers only. Many players wore more than one number during their career. On this list, they are considered primarily for how long they wore each specific number and what they did while they wore it.
When possible, other great players who wore each number will get honorable mention. Feel free to comment and say who you feel belongs on this list.
I will release more articles in this series throughout the offseason.
91. Brian Noble ILB (1985-93)
The Packers selected Brian Noble in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. The former Arizona State star became a starter as a rookie after impressing Forrest Gregg’s coaching staff in training camp.
Noble was a hard-hitting inside linebacker who was adept at stopping the run. Few opponents wanted to run to Noble’s part of the field. He led the Packers in tackles four times during his nine seasons in Green Bay. During the strike-shortened 1987 season, Noble recovered five fumbles in just 12 games.
Unfortunately for Noble, the Packers enjoyed only two winning seasons during his tenure with the team, in 1989 and again in 1992. Noble suffered a dislocated kneecap in Week 2 of the 1993 season and that injury effectively ended his NFL career just as the Packers were becoming a contender under Mike Holmgren.
Bears Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka had a lot of respect for Noble. In 1988, Ditka said, “I think he plays the inside linebacker position as well as anybody…He lines up and plays like the old guys played. I doubt that Ray Nitschke played with any more enthusiasm than Brian Noble does.”
In 117 career games with the Packers, Noble intercepted three passes, recovered 11 fumbles and recorded 14 sacks.
After his retirement, Noble became the host of an outdoor television show and owned the Green Bay Blizzard of af2, an indoor football league.
92. Reggie White DE (1993-98)
Reggie White was the biggest and best player available in the NFL’s first true free agent class in 1993 and he ended up signing with the league’s smallest market team, the Packers.
Packers head coach Mike Holmgren famously called White, a religious man known as “The Minister of Defense” and told him, “Reggie, this is G-d, I want you to sign with Green Bay.”
White made an immediate impact on the Packers defense. In his six seasons in Green Bay, the Packers made the playoffs every year and White was named to the Pro Bowl in each of those campaigns. He tallied 68.5 sacks with the Packers including 16 in his final season in Green and Gold.
In addition to his outstanding play on the field, White was a leader in the Packers locker room. He helped make Green Bay a more desirable place to play for African American players, something that had been questioned in the late 80s since Green Bay has such a small Black population.
White played very well in the Packers 35-21 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. White tied a Super Bowl record with three sacks. All of them came late in the game when the Patriots were attempting to stage a comeback.
White retired after the 1998 but came back in 2000 to play one final year with the Carolina Panthers. He retired as the NFL’s official all-time sack leader with 198.
White died suddenly and unexpectedly on December 26, 2004, at the age of 43. He was posthumously inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. His impact on the Packers and the game of football will not be forgotten.
93. Gilbert Brown DT (1994-99, 2001-03)
Few players in Packers history were as popular as defensive tackle Gilbert Brown. Maybe it was his size or perhaps his outgoing personality. The fact that broadcaster John Madden loved Gilbert didn’t hurt either. Regardless of the reasons, Brown because a fan favorite despite playing one of the game’s more anonymous positions.
The former Kansas star signed with the Packers as a free agent in 1993 after the Vikings waived him because of his weight. Brown became a starter by 1995 and remained a key contributor for the team throughout the rest of his career.
Brown’s specialty was stuffing the run. Because of his 6’2”, 340-pound frame, he was great at occupying multiple blockers without giving ground which helped either Brown or his teammates make tackles.
He earned the nickname “The Gravedigger” and celebrated big tackles and plays by imitating shoveling dirt like he was digging a grave. The fans loved his celebrations.
Brown played in 17 playoff games during his 10 seasons with the Pack and played in two Super Bowls with the team including their big victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.
Local Burger King restaurants in Green Bay offered the “Gilbertburger” in Brown’s honor. It was a double whopper with extra everything except no pickles (Brown didn’t like pickles).
Brown retired after being released by the Packers prior to the 2004 season. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2008.
After retiring, Brown later coached teams in the Indoor Football League and the Lingerie Football League.
Other prominent Packers to wear 93 include steady defensive end Robert Brown (1982-92) who spent more than a decade on the Green Bay defensive line.
94. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (2000-08)
The Packers selected Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. The former San Diego State product had just 1.5 sacks in his rookie season but came on strong in year two and recorded 13.5 sacks in a designated pass rushing role.
KGB recorded 10 or more sacks for four straight seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl after recording 10 sacks in 2003. Gbaja-Biamila’s quickness off the edge and long arms helped him get to the quarterback quickly.
Gbaja-Biamila added 2.5 sacks in eight playoff games with the Packers including one in the 2007 NFC Championship Game against the Giants.
When the Packers released KGB during the 2008 season, he was the Packers official all-time leader in sacks with 74.5.
KGB was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2013.
Other prominent Packers to wear 94 include defensive linemen Charles Martin (1984-87) who is best remembered for body slamming Bears quarterback Jim McMahon after he threw an interception in a 1986 game, and steady Dean Lowry (2016-present).
95. Bryce Paup OLB (1990-94)
Bryce Paup wasn’t drafted until the sixth round of the 1990 NFL Draft but the Northern Iowa product showed he was an adept pass rusher and made a big impact by his second NFL season.
Paup recorded 7.5 sacks in 1991 and then added 11.0 sacks in 1993, the year Reggie White arrived in Green Bay.
Paup was quick and had a non-stop motor. He was determined to get to the quarterback from his outside linebacker position. His speed allowed him to chase down opposing ball carriers from across the field when he wasn’t rushing the passer.
In 1994, Paup recorded 7.5 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He also had a pick six of Scott Mitchell that gave the Packers a 7-0 lead in a 38-30 win over the Lions in Week 10.
Paup played well in big games. He recorded two sacks and five tackles in the Packers 16-12 playoff win over the Lions in 1994, the game where the Green Bay defense held future Hall of Famer Barry Sanders to minus-one yards in 13 carries. One week later, Paup intercepted Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman in a playoff game and returned the ball 34 yards.
Paup left the Packers as a free agent after the 1994 season and signed with the Buffalo Bills. He was named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 after recording a career-high 17.5 sacks.
Paup finished his career with the Jaguars and Vikings before retiring after the 2000 season. He finished with 75 career sacks. He is presently an assistant coach at his alma mater, Northern Iowa University.
Other prominent Packers to wear 95 include speedy OLB Keith McKenzie (1996-99) who recorded 18.5 sacks in four seasons with the Packers.
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