Number 52 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

We’re now 52 days away from the New York Giants’ 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 52 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

E Vince Dennery (1941), G Harry Buffington (1942), LB-C John Cannady (1948- 54), OL Bob Schmidt (1960), C-LB Larry Hayes (1961), LB Bill Swain (1965-67), LB John Kirby (1969-70), OL John Hill (1972-74), C Ralph Hill (1976-77), C Leo Tierney (1978), C Steve Tobin (1980), LB Joe McLaughlin (1980-84), LB Pepper Johnson (1986-92), LB Scott Galyon (1996-99), OC Dusty Zeigler (2000-02), LB Barrett Green (2004-05), LB Chris Claiborne (2006), LB Torrance Daniels (2007), LB Rich Scanlon (2008), LB Edmond Miles (2008), LB Micheal Boley (2009), LB Clint Sintim (2010), LB Spencer Paysinger (2012-13), LB Jon Beason (2014-15), LB Jonathan Casillas (2016-17), LB Alec Ogletree (2018), LB Devante Downs (2019-20), LB Carter Coughlin (2021-24)

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

Thomas “Pepper” Johnson brought a unique flair to a hard-hitting approach as an inside linebacker for the Giants’ first two Super Bowl championship teams. 

Johnson, who got his famous nickname when an aunt noticed that he liked to sprinkle pepper on his breakfast cereal as a child, was a second-round draft pick by the Giants in 1986. 

“Buried” within a Giants linebacker corps that already had Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, and Carl Banks as its headliners, Johnson was one of those players whose contributions didn’t scream at you. However, when you go back and look, you realize that the Ohio State alum quietly made an impact.

Johnson, along with offensive lineman William Roberts, famously brought a celebratory dance called “The Dog,” which they learned during their time as students at Ohio State. He had his best season in 1990, when he earned his first of two Pro Bowl berths and a first-team All-Pro mention. That season was also Johnson’s breakout, the first of three straight in which he posted 100+ tackles. 

Johnson left the Giants after the 1992 season, moving on to Cleveland to play for Bill Belichick, who the Browns had hired to be their head coach after being hired away from the Giants. 

Johnson would go on to post two more 100+ tackle seasons before moving on to the Lions in 1996 and then finishing up his career with the Jets, for whom he played in 1997-98.

Johnson, who later went into coaching, was a long-time defensive assistant on Belichick’s staff in New England. Johnson also had NFL coaching stints with the Bills in 2014 and the Jets from 2015 to 2016. 

He finished his NFL career having played 13 seasons and posting a whopping 1,090 tackles (317 solos), 25.5 sacks, and 14 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns).   

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Who’s Wearing It Now?

Outside linebacker Victor Dimukeje currently has No. 52 assigned to him. 

Dimukeje, 6-2 and 262 pounds, played his college ball at Duke. He initially entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick in 2021. During his tenure with Arizona, he appeared in 55 games with eight starts. He currently has  67 tackles and four sacks, all gathered in 2023.

During his rookie season, Dimukeje was primarily a special teams player for the Cardinals. He has continued to make contributions to special teams, where 17 of his total tackles (eight solo) came while playing on special teams.

Dimukeje suffered a torn pectoral muscle earlier this spring during an offseason workout, and likely figures to start training camp on the PUP list.