PITTSBURGH — Channel 11 Sports has ranked the top 11 athletes across all sports who have ever worn number 11.
11. Phil Simms: NFL quarterback
Younger generations will most likely know Phil Simms from his sports commentary than from his playing days. Simms was drafted in 1979 by the New York Giants and went on to be named MVP of the 1987 Super Bowl
after beating the Denver Broncos. He played 15 seasons in the NFL, appearing in 164 games. He had 2,576 completions on 4,647 attempts for 33,462 yards and 199 touchdowns. He was named to two Pro Bowls and was a two-time Super Bowl champion.
10. Gilbert Perrault: NHL forward
Considered one of the most skilled centers to ever play hockey, Gilbert Perrault was on the famed Buffalo Sabres line named The French Connection that still holds many franchise records. He played 17 seasons in the NHL, appearing in 1,191 games. He tallied 512 goals, 814 assists and 1,326 points over his career. Perrault won the Calder Memorial trophy, the Lady Byng Memorial trophy, was an eight-time All Star and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
9. Larry Fitzgerald: NFL wide receiver
Pittsburghers will fondly remember Larry Fitzgerald from his days playing at Pitt where he torched defenses and was a unanimous All-American. He’s played 16 seasons so far and has appeared in 250 games. Fitzgerald has put up 1,378 receptions for 17,083 yards. He also has scored 120 touchdowns. Fitzgerald has been an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and won the 2016 Walter Payton Award.
8. Luis Aparicio: MLB shortstop
Luis Aparicio is the first MLB player from Venezuela to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Across 18 seasons, he had 10,230 at bats, 2,677 hits and a .262 batting average. Aparicio was known for his base stealing skills, tallying 506 stolen bases over his career. He was voted the 1956 Rookie of the Year, was a 13-time All Star and won the Gold Glove nine times.
7. Mike Gartner: NHL Forward
Named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in league history, Mike Gartner played 19 seasons with the Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, Ranger, Maple Leafs and Coyotes. Gartner played in 1,432 games, scored 708 goals, had 627 assists and put up 1,335 points. He was a seven-time All Star and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
6. Elvin Hayes: NBA Forward
Elvin Hayes, nicknamed “The Big E,” was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team during his first season and his scoring average is still fifth best all-time for a rookie. Hayes would go on to play 16 seasons in the NBA. Across 1,303 games, Hayes scored 27,313 points, had 16,279 rebounds and had a 21 points per game average. Hayes also average 12.5 rebounds per game during his career. He was a 12-time All Star, was voted to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
5. Carl Hubbell: MLB Pitcher
“The Meal Ticket.” “King Carl.” Those are both nicknames Carl Hubbell was given over his MLB career as a pitcher for the New York Giants. Hubbell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947 and is known for striking out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin at the 1934 All-Star Game. Hubbell played all 16 seasons of his career with the Giants, accumulating 253 wins and 154 losses. He had a 2.98 ERA with 1,677 strikeouts. He was a nine-time All Star, a two-time MVP, won a World Series and had a 24-game winning streak.
4. Norm Van Brocklin: NFL quarterback
Norm Van Brocklin led his high school football team as quarterback before dropping out to serve in the Navy during WWII. Following the war, he enrolled in college and was drafted by the Rams in 1949. He set the NFL record for most passing yards in a single game with 554, a record that still stands to this day. In 12 seasons, Van Brocklin played in 140 games with 1,553 completions on 2,895 attempts. He threw for 23,611 yards and 173 touchdowns across his career. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection as well.
3. Isiah Thomas: NBA guard
Isiah Thomas led the Indiana Hoosiers to the 1981 NCAA championship before he was drafted by the Pistons in the NBA Draft. He led the team to two consecutive NBA championships. In 13 seasons in the NBA, Thomas played in 979 games, amassed 18,822 points and average 19.2 per game. He had 9,061 assists and 1,861 steals. He was a 12-time NBA All Star, was voted part of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All Time Team and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. Paul Waner: MLB Right field
Born in Oklahoma Territory before it became a state, Paul Waner’s father turned down an MLB contract to instead settle a 400-acre farm. Waner said he learned how to hit from smacking corncobs on his father’s farm. He had astigmatism, a vision issue that does not allow the eyes to focus at any distance, but did not like wearing glasses while playing. He said his eyes made the baseball appear fuzzy, but it was the size of a grapefruit, allowing him to hit the center more often. Waner played 15 seasons with the Pirates at right field and played in 2,154 games. He had 8,429 at bats, 2,868 hits and a .340 average. Waner had 113 home runs and 1,309 RBI. He was a four-time All Star, won the Batting Title three times, won MVP once and is in the Hall of Fame.
1. Mark Messier: NHL center
Mark Messier played 25 years in the NHL and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He is the only player to be the captain of two Stanley Cup-winning teams, the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers. Messier is third all time in regular season points behind Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr. He played in 1,756 games, scored 694 goals, had 1,193 assists and had 1,187 points. He was a 15-time All Star, won the Hart Trophy twice, was a six-time Stanley Cup champion, was second all-time in playoff points, ranks second all time in regular season games played only behind Gordie Howe, was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and was named as one of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
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