Countdown to Jaguars Football: No. 93 and Who Has Donned it Best
In less than 100 days, Jacksonville Jaguars will return ... at least as things stand today.
While there is still some uncertainty surrounding the start to 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 93 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. Yesterday, we tabbed Jeremy Mincey as the best to wear No. 94 in Jacksonville, but what about the next number?
So when considering each player has worn the No. 93 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:
- Calais Campbell: 2017-19
- Tyson Alualu: 2010-16
- Greg Peterson: 2009
- Quentin Groves: 2008
- Bobby McCray: 2004-07
- Stalin Colinet: 2002
- Javor Mills: 2002
- Emarlos Leroy: 2000
- Kevin Landolt: 1999
- Jose White: 1998
- Esera Tuaolo: 1997
- Ernie Logan: 1995-96
This group has a number of notable recent players but also quite a few players who spent limited time in Jacksonville. Among all of those who have worn 93 over the last 25 years for the Jaguars, who stands out among the crowd?
No. 3: Tyson Alualu
It was a bit of a surprise when the Jaguars selected Tyson Alualu with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, but the dependable and versatile defensive lineman would go on to prove his worth over the next seven seasons in Jacksonville. Alualu dealt with injuries early on his career and while he never proved to be quite worth the No. 10 pick, he was far from a bust because he was still a solid defender who brought value to the defense on and off the field.
In seven years in Jacksonville, Alualu appeared in 110 games and started 87. He recorded 17.5 sacks (tied for 15th-most in team history), 258 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 51 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and six pass deflections. He never had a season with more than 3.5 sacks, but he was often one of the brighter spots of some of the worst Jaguars defenses in team history thanks to his strong run defense and ability to play both defensive tackle and defensive end.
No. 2: Bobby McCray
One of the most underrated pass-rushers in Jaguars history, Bobby McCray is currently tied for ninth in all-time sacks by a Jaguar with 22, a total he accumulated during just a four-year tenure. This included a 10-sack season in 2006, a year in which he started 12 games. While he never reached double-digit sacks with the Jaguars in any other year, he made solid contributions to the Jaguars during a period where they fought their way back to playoff contention under head coach Jack Del Rio.
In 61 career games in Jacksonville (29 starts) McCray recorded 22 sacks, 93 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five pass deflections. Considering Jacksonville drafted McCray in the seventh-round in the 2004 NFL Draft, they got a great return on investment and McCray now stands as one of the team's more unheralded and underappreciated defensive players.
No. 1: Calais Campbell
This one was as obvious as a pick could possibly be right from the jump. In just three seasons with Jacksonville, Calais Campbell wrote himself into Jaguars' history thanks to his elite contributions on the field and his impressive leadership off of the field. Winner of the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award and the beloved "Mayor of Sacksonville", Campbell was traded to Baltimore for a 2020 fifth-round pick in March but his legacy in Jacksonville will far outlast the disappointment of his departure.
The greatest free agent signing in team history, Campbell joined Jacksonville in 2017 and became one of the driving forces to an elite Jaguars defense that carried the team to an AFC South title and an AFC Championship appearance in his first year as a Jaguar. In three seasons in Jacksonville, Campbell appeared and started in all 48 possible regular season games. During that span, he recorded 31.5 sacks (fourth-most in team history), 195 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 77 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He was also named a First-Team All-Pro in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl in all three seasons he spent in Jacksonville, solidifying his case as one of the best players in team history despite his short tenure.
