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The number 20 was uninspiring in its history. As we are now 19 days away from the start of the regular season for the Arizona Cardinals, we now focus on 19, which has very little history.
Receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn now wears 19. He was picked up on a three-year free agent contract this offseason. He is fast and has been an elite returner. We will see how much he is used at receiver.
Before Ginn, the last guy to wear it was quarterback John Skelton, who did so from 2010-2012. Drafted in the fifth round, he was a big-armed quarterback out of a little school (Fordham). Injuries pushed into action his rookie year and then again in 2011. He won several games in 2011, despite some really bad play until the fourth quarter would roll around. He was bad in 2012 and eventually replaced by Ryan Lindley, who was even worse. He was released after the 2012 season and Bruce Arians was hired.
You have to go back to Leron McCoy in 2005 before that. He was a Cardinals seventh rounder. He played only one season, appearing in 10 games. He had four catches, one for a touchdown.
In 2002-03, receiver Nate Poole wore it. He was an undrafted receiver that made the team and had one of the more memorable moments, catching a Week 17 touchdown pass as time expired that beat the Vikings, eliminating them from the playoffs. It moved the Cards from the first pick overall to third, which was used to draft Larry Fitzgerald.
Receiver MarTay Jenkins wore it in 1999-2000. Picked up late in 1999, he was used as their kick returner in 2000. He led the league in return yards and returns -- meaning the Cardinals were awful. He swapped numbers later and was a third receiver.
Before him, it belonged to QB Tony Sacca. Hahaha! Sacca! He was a second round pick in 1992 who busted in the NFL. One of the memories I have was reading in the newspaper where he said the football in the pros was too big for him. He played in two games and threw two interceptions.
From 1988-91, t was the number that Tom Tupa wore. Tupa was one of my favorite players for some reason. He was drafted in the third round out of Ohio State and was a backup QB for a bit. He could also punt. He threw six interceptions and was sacked six times in his first start. He is part of the comedy of errors at quarterback after Neil Lomax. He even started 11 games in 1991, throwing six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He could punt, too. He filled in one game in 1989 for an injured Rich Camarrillo (who was as good a punter as there was in the league) and eventually made a name for himself as a punter. He ended up playing in the league 16 years. He was a one-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro. He also is a part of trivia history, as he scored the first two-point conversion after it came back. He was the holder on a botched extra point.
1987 -- Shawn Halloran
1978-79 -- Mike Wood
1967 -- Philip Spiller
Goodness, this isn't that great a number.
