Countdown to Jaguars Football: No. 53 and Who Has Donned it Best

In fewer than 100 days, the Jacksonville Jaguars will return ... at least as things stand today.

While there is still some uncertainty surrounding the start of the NFL season, the league office has made it clear that they are planning to kick the season off on Sept. 10 and then have every other team play on Sept. 13.

By going off that timeline, we are now just 53 days from watching the Jaguars take the field against the Indianapolis Colts for the first regular season game of 2020.

In an effort to countdown to the start of the season, we will now be going from 95 through 1 to determine the best players to don the teal, black, and white for the Jaguars at each specific number.

So when considering each player has worn the No. 53 since Jacksonville's first season in 1995, who has been the most impactful? Since the team's inception, here are the players who have worn the jersey number:

Blair Brown: 2017-18
Sean Porter: 2015
John Lotulelei: 2013, 2015
Kyle Knox: 2013
Brandon Marshall: 2012
Eric Alexander: 2010
Slade Norris: 2010
Bryan Smith: 2009
Thomas Williams: 2008
Shantee Orr: 2007
Pat Thomas: 2005-07
Hakim Akbar: 2003
T.J. Slaughter: 2000-03
Eddie Mason: 1998
Nate Dingle: 1996
Santo Stephens: 1995

So, who has been the best No. 53 in team history? We narrow our top-3 list below.

No. 3: Pat Thomas

A sixth-round pick for the Jaguars out of NC State in 2005, Pat Thomas spent nearly three seasons with the team before spending almost two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Thomas was mostly a special teams player for the Jaguars during his tenure, appearing in 15 games and starting just one game, which was in 2007. Ultimately Thomas recorded just 13 tackles for the Jaguars since he was a backup, but he did record a forced fumble as well.

No. 2: Blair Brown

Telvin Smith's backup at weak side linebacker in 2017 and 2018, Blair Brown was a decent pickup in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. A terrific special teams player thanks to his top-notch athleticism, Brown didn't see a ton of reps on Jacksonville's defense in his two years but he still appeared in more games than most to wear No. 53.

In two seasons, Brown appeared in 28 regular season games, starting two, and three playoff games. He recorded 17 tackles, 0.5 sacks and a fumble recovery during his time on defense, while also playing 19 defensive snaps during the team's Wild Card victory against Buffalo in 2017.

No. 1: T.J. Slaughter

A third-round pick out of Southern Miss in the 2000 NFL Draft, T.J. Slaughter manned the middle of Jacksonville's defense for the next three seasons and saw more extended time as a starter than any other player wearing No. 53 in the team's 25-year history.

In a little over three seasons in Jacksonville, Slaughter appeared in 42 games and started 29, with 11 of those starts coming in 2002. The tough-minded middle linebacker racked up tackles during his tenure, recording 179 combined tackles with 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.