Number 35 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

The countdown to the start of the New York Giants’ 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 35 days away from the opening kickoff against the Washington Commanders. To count down the days until then, we look at the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Giants.

Who Wore No. 35 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

C Riley Biggs (1927), G Ken Moore (1940), HB-FB Gene “Choo-Choo” Roberts (1947-50), HB Bosh Pritchard (1951), LB Pat Knight (1952), FB Merwin Hodel (1953), FB Bobby Epps (1954-57), HB Bob Gaiters (1961-62), DB Rondy Colbert (1975), RB Dan Doornink (1978), RB Mike Hogan (1980), RB Ike Forte (1981), RB Billy Campfield (1983), RB Van Williams (1987), DB Andre Weathers (1999-00), DB Clarence LeBlanc (2003), CB Kevin Dockery (2006-09), RB Andre Brown (2012-13), DB Quintin Demps (2014), DB Curtis Riley (2018), LB T.J. Brunson (2020), CB Darqueze Dennard (2021), CB Justin Layne (2022), RB Jashaun Corbin (2023), CB Art Green(2024-25)

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

Gene Roberts wore No. 35 for the New York Giants from 1947-50 and was a key member of the team’s offensive backfield during his four seasons. He was nicknamed “Choo-Choo” as a nod to his college days at Chattanooga, where he earned “Little All-American” honors.

The Giants picked Roberts in the eighth round of the 1947 draft (No. 65 overall), but injuries initially limited him. His best season with the Giants came in 1949, when in 12 games, he ran 152 times for 634 yards and nine touchdowns, and had 35 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns–all career highs. 

He totaled 102 points that season, and his 17 touchdowns led the league that season. That season also saw him tie with Pat Harder of the Chicago Cardinals for the league lead in scoring. 

The 1950 season, Roberts’s last one with the Giants and the NFL (by choice), didn’t see him match or top his numbers from the year prior, but he was still productive enough to be named to the league’s inaugural Pro Bowl that year.

He finished his four-year career with the Giants, having appeared in 44 games with 21 starts, 1,904 rushing yards, 1,135 receiving yards, and 26 total touchdowns.

Before his Giants career came to a close, Roberts set a Giants franchise record of 218 yards in a game against the Cardinals on November 12, 1950, a record that was later broken by running back Tiki Barber, who recorded 220 yards on December 17, 2005, in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The following offseason, Roberts was traded to the Green Bay Packers, but never played a down for them. He took his talents to the CFL, first with the Montreal Alouettes in 1951, who waived him after one season. He then signed with the Ottawa Roughriders, where he was twice named a CFL All-Star as a player-coach.  

Roberts led the CFL in scoring during the 1953 season with 88 points, becoming the only player to win a scoring championship in both the NFL and CFL. Roberts was also a participant in the first-ever CFL game broadcast in the United States in 1954.

(Additional information for this entry obtained from The Kansas City Star, Dec. 24, 2005, Page 31.)

Who’s Wearing It Now?