No. 41 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

Cornerback Willie A. Williams was voted No. 96 on the NY Giants' top 100 list last year and with good reason.

August 22, 1969; Fairfield, CT, USA; New York Giants player Willie A. Williams on picture day. | NorthJersey.com-USA TODAY NETWOR

The countdown to the start of the New York Giants’ 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 41 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 #41 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

K Ben Agajanian (1949), RB Bob Anderson (1963), S Antoine Bethea (2019), DB John Booty (1994), S C.C. Brown (2009), TE Todd Christensen (1979), DB Lindon Crow, TE Darnell Dinkins (2002), RB Fred DiRenzo (1987), C Wendell Goldsmith (1940), RB Forrest Griffith (1950-51), S Neal Guggemos (1988), CB Conrad Hamilton (1996-99), DB Johnny Hermann (1956), OT-DE Cal Hubbard (1927-28), DB Gene Johnson (1961), RB Dan Lewis (1966), RB Bo Matthews (1980-81), LB Micah McFadden (2022-24), RB Alfred Morris (2020), TE Chris Myarick (2021), RB-QB Emery Nix (1946), OL Babe Parnell (1926), CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (2015-17), CB Dave Thomas (2000-01), RB Ryan Torain (2012), CB Frank Walker (2003-06), CB Willie Williams (1965-73).

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

Cornerback Willie Williams possessed great speed, length, and a sturdy frame to handle the challenges of being on an island in the secondary. He also possessed terrific ball skills and soft hands, having previously played as a college receiver at Grambling State. 

He registered at least one interception during each of his eight seasons with the Giants. This tenure was interrupted by a one-season stint with the AFL’s Oakland Raiders in 1966. 

Williams, who played in 100 games (86 starts) with the Giants, is tied with Dick Lynch for fourth in club history with 35 interceptions. In short, Williams was considered one of the few reliable defensive bright spots on a struggling team that failed to make the playoffs during his tenure.

The Giants took Williams in the eighth round out of Grambling St. in the 1965 NFL Draft, the same year they drafted fellow secondary stalwart Carl “Spider” Lockhart (13th round). 

Although Williams played in all 14 games (five starts) as a rookie, he was more recognized as the team’s primary punt returner. After a one-year stint in the AFL, Williams returned to the Giants, played in the final five games of the 1967 schedule, and put up a 44-yard interception return vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in the season finale. 

In 1968, he earned his only trip to the Pro Bowl by leading the league with a career-high 10 interceptions, which ties him with Frank Reagan and Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell for the third-most interceptions in franchise history. 

During the season, Williams picked off at least one pass in six consecutive games (one short of Tom Landry’s team mark), capped by two thefts against Dallas in Week 14. He registered six and four interceptions, respectively, helping the Giants to finish 9-5 in 1970 and 8-6 in 1972.

In 2024, Williams was named 96th on the list of the all-time Giants’ Top 100 Players as selected by an independent committee of journalists, NFL/Pro Football Hall of Fame executives, and superfans polled by the team.

Who’s Wearing It Now?

New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Linebacker Micah McFadden was given No. 41 after he was taken in the fifth round out of Indiana in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

He has played 47 games (35 starts) and posted at least 100 tackles in each of the past two seasons, during which he has been a full-time starter. 

He set career highs with 107 tackles and three sacks last year.

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