Number 31 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

Who knows what path Jason Sehorn's career might have taken had he only stuck to playing cornerback.

Dec 13, 1997; E. Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants defensive back Jason Sehorn | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The countdown to the start of the New York Giants’ 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 31 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. 31 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

E Bob Tarrant (1936), LB-C-E Larry Johnson (1936-39), E Max Harrison (1940), G/T Ed Lechner (1942), G/LBLarry Visnic (1943-45), LB/C Bill Miklich (1947), DE Joyce Pipkin (1948), FB Eddie Price (1950-55), HB George Scott (1959), LB Bill Winter (1962-64), RB Charlie Evans (1971-73), DB Ernie Jones (1977-79), RB Cliff Chatman (1982), RB Frank Cephous (1984), DB Steve Rehage (1987), CB Jason Sehorn (1994-02), DB Ike Charlton (2003), DB Jack Brewer (2004), CB Aaron Ross (2007-13, 2018), DB Will Hill (2012), DB Zackary Bowman (2014), DB Trevin Wade (2015-16), S Tim Scott (2017), S Michael Thomas (2018-19), RB Devonta Freeman (2020), CB Keion Crossen (2021), RB Matt Breida (2022-23), S Tyler Nubin (2024) 

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.  

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

Cornerback Jason Sehorn was a special kind of athlete until a tragic turn of events struck. 

Sehorn, a second-round pick by the Giants in 1994 out of USC, came into his own in his third NFL season (1996). That was the first of two seasons in which he played the entire campaign. In that 1996 campaign, he also recorded a league-leading five fumbles, while also recording three sacks and a career-high 97 tackles.

Sehorn’s athleticism at cornerback was so impressive that following the 1997 season, there emerged talk that he was willing to play on special teams as a kickoff returner. 

Despite the risk involved with one of the team’s best players on defense at the time, head coach Jim Fassel gave the green light for Sehorn to return kickoffs.

The decision indeed proved ill-advised. Sehorn, during a kickoff return in a 1998 preseason game against the Jets, tore his ACL and his MCL and was done for the season. The Giants suddenly found themselves with a huge hole in their defensive backfield, which they never really filled.

To his credit, Sehorn returned from his injury in 1999, but was never quite the same athlete, his speed having diminished as a result of the injury.

Still, he would continue onward in what ended up as an eight-year career with the Giants, appearing as the right cornerback for the 2000 Super Bowl team that lost to the Baltimore Ravens. 

Sehorn, who the Giants released in March 2003, spent the final season of his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams, who converted him to safety for that year.

He retired after that 2003 season. His final career totals saw him play 117 games with 76 starts, 19 interceptions (four of which he returned for touchdowns), 55 breakups, ten forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks, and 443 tackles.

Who’s Wearing It Now?

Free agent cornerback Nic Jones, who has been trying to catch on as a reserve slot cornerback, currently sports No. 31. Jones, who is in his second NFL season and first with the Giants, has had a rather impressive camp thus far in terms of creating turnovers and pass breakups.

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