Number 42 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 42 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 42 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

Orville Tuttle (1937-41), Bill Hutchinson (1942), Hub Barker (1942-45), Jim Blumensock (1947), Charlie Conerly (1948-61)

 *Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

Only five players have ever worn number 42 for the Giants, and of those five, only three wore it for more than a season: Orvill Tuttle, Hub Barker, and our choice for who wore it best: "Chucking Charlie Conerly."

Conerly, who played his college ball at Ole Miss, was the last and perhaps greatest Giant to wear No. 42. He joined the Giants in 1948, three years after Washington drafted him in 1945 in the 13th round of the draft.

During his first season, despite only starting four games, Conertly finished with 2175 yards and 22 touchdown passes and added five rushing touchdowns, all career highs.

At 27 years old, he entered the league already in his prime, and over the next 13 years, he was able to provide leadership and stability for the organization. 

Conertly would appear in 161 games and start 105 of them during his career. He completed a tick over fifty percent of his passes and threw for 19,488 yards and 173 touchdowns.

Conerly was not much of a runner, rushing for 685 yards and 10 touchdowns during his time. In addition to his quarterback duties, he also kicked extra points and punted the football during his earlier years with the team, punting 72 times with a 39.7-yard average in 1951. 

Conerly was named to two Pro Bowls, and he was the 1959 Newspaper Enterprise Association's (NEA) choice for the NFL MVP Award in 1959 after posting an 8-1 record as the Giants' starter and career highs in completion percentage (58.2%), average per pass (8.8), and 102.7 passer rating.

Conerly, who played for the Giants until he was 40 years old, was also named an All-Pro four seasons and won one NFL Championship.  

Who’s Wearing It Now?

Conerly wore the jersey for 14 seasons, and in 1962, a year after he retired from football, the Giants retired the jersey as a tribute to the years of quality service Conerly provided. Conerly was also voted No. 13 on the Giants' Top 100 Players in franchise history.

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