Athletes by the Number: 70 - 79

Only three more posts to go... so close, yet so far... here we go...

70 - Rayfield Wright:  Wore 70 for the Dallas Cowboys.  Played mostly at offensive tackel.  Is in the Hall of Fame.  Sounds good enough for me. (I will admit, I had to look up this one... Struggled to come up with a 70.)

71 - Evgeni Malkin:  A bit of a shadow behind Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh, Malkin is the Jagr in Pittsburgh's current tag-team.  He assisted in leading the Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup.

72 - Dan Dierdorf:  A "Michigan Man", Dierdorf starred for the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Cardinals.  He is an NFL Hall of Famer.  He even spent some time in the booth of Monday Night Football.  I'd give it to him.

73 - Dennis Rodman:  I know Rodman wore a bunch of numbers throughout his career, but a buddy of mine had his 7-3 Lakers jersey, and I certainly remember that one.

74 - Bruce Matthews:  Recent NFL Hall of Famer.  Played over three different decades for the Oiler/Titans Franchise and now coaching with them.  Respect...

75 - Howie Long:  A Raider among Raiders.  Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end, now assists in hosting the Fox Sunday NFL Pre-Game show.  Oh, and his son is pretty good too...  Honorable mentions to David Baas while at Michigan and "Mean" Joe Green.

76 - Steve Hutchinson:  An All-Pro offensive lineman and a "Michigan Man" as well, Hutchinson has played outstandingly well for both the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, paving the way for running backs Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson.  An honorable mention goes to his former teammate and longtime Detroit Lion Jeff Backus.

77 - Jon Jansen:  Jansen was a force while at Michigan.  He was a captain of the 1998 National Championship squad.  He was a big man with a bigger heart.  I had the chance to meet him when I was younger and he was nothing but kind.  I have nothing but respect for the man.  Extremely honorable mentions go out to another 77 from Michigan, 2008 NFL Draft 1st Pick Jake Long, and NHL great Ray Bourque.

78 - Bruce Smith:  One of the few former Buffalo Bills that I can actually remember.

79 - Alexei Yashin: Much like a few of my previous choices, Yashin's connection to 79 has a lot to do with my previous play of EA Sports' NHL series.  Although I would also say he is one of the greatest to ever wear the number.  Mainly because so few have worn it.

2 MORE POSTS TO GO!  Oh! Em! Gee!  See you soon!