For the Green Bay Packers, No. 5 has had a handful of notable wearers over the years, but this one was never really in doubt. The number has belonged to a dozen players, including five Packers Hall of Famers, yet the best name attached to it is Paul Hornung - and he’s the easy answer.
Hornung’s football résumé was already loaded before he ever reached Green Bay. He was a two-time All-American and the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame, a season that stands out even more because the Fighting Irish went 2-8 that year.
The Packers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, and he wasted no time becoming one of the league’s premier players. Vince Lombardi later called him the greatest player he ever coached.
With the Packers, Hornung wasn’t just a backfield weapon. He handled multiple roles, serving as the team’s primary rusher and its kicker.
That versatility turned him into a scoring machine. From 1959 through 1961, he led the NFL in points in three straight seasons, earning two Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro selections in that span, along with the 1961 NFL MVP award.
His best scoring season came in 1960, not in the year he won MVP. Hornung piled up 176 points that season, with 78 coming on 13 rushing touchdowns, 12 more on two receiving scores, 41 from extra points and another 45 on 15 field goals.
That total still ranks second in a single NFL season, behind only LaDainian Tomlinson’s 186 points for the San Diego Chargers in 2006. Hornung also threw two touchdown passes that year, and if those had counted toward his point total, he would have owned the record.
Even now, Hornung still sits alone in a few places in the record book. He’s the only player in NFL history with two games of 30 points or more, both against the Baltimore Colts, and the only player with three games of at least 25 points, adding a 28-point game against the Minnesota Vikings in 1962.
He played nine seasons for Green Bay, though his 1963 season was wiped out by a suspension tied to gambling issues. During his time with the Packers, he helped deliver four NFL titles and later was part of the team’s first Super Bowl appearance, then known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Hornung was the only Packers player in Green Bay’s 35-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs who did not play, because a neck injury had ended his career.
The Packers never officially retired No. 5, but Lombardi unofficially did in 1967. Since Hornung’s departure, only four players have worn it, all in the 1980s, and kicker Curtis Burrow was the last in 1988.
In Other News...
Josh Jacobs Situation Is Becoming A Real Packers Camp Concern
Josh Jacobs return to Packers camp has put an uncomfortable off-field issue back in the middle of the football conversation. The veteran running back was arrested in Wisconsin in late May, and while the team has kept its public stance quiet, the situation has lingered long enough to become part of the backdrop as Green Bay tries to get through the early stages of camp with its roster intact and its focus on the field.
Matt LaFleur and the Packers have been careful not to rush into public judgments, and some teammates have acknowledged the matter without offering much detail. For a team that is trying to build momentum heading into the season, the uncertainty around Jacobs adds another layer of unease, especially with the legal process still unfolding and the organization waiting for more clarity before deciding what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Still Have One Obvious Move Left Before Camp
The Packers still have room to make a meaningful move before training camp, and the front office does not have to wait for the season to tell it where the roster needs help. Green Bay has enough salary cap flexibility to chase another veteran if it wants one, and the conversation around that possibility is being driven by a few familiar pressure points: depth, health and whether the current group is ready to hold up over a full season.
Tight end and edge rusher remain the clearest places to look, especially with Tucker Kraft working back from an ACL injury and Luke Musgrave still not someone the Packers can fully bank on. On the other side of the ball, Lukas Van Ness is another player Green Bay needs to stay healthy and take a noticeable step forward, which is why names like Jonnu Smith, Leonard Floyd, Joey Bosa and Nick Chubb keep surfacing as possible fits, even if some of those options come with obvious complications. [Read more 🡒]
Benjamin St-Juste May Decide How Far Packers Secondary Can Go
Benjamin St-Juste arrived in Green Bay on a two-year deal and quickly became one of the more interesting names in a cornerback room that has drawn plenty of attention for other reasons. Rookie Brandon Cisse may have generated the draft buzz, but St-Juste brings something the Packers can use right away: real starting experience and a track record that suggests he can help stabilize the depth chart.
The bigger question is whether he ends up doing more than that. St-Juste was graded as one of the better corners in the league last season by Pro Football Focus, and his ability to line up in coverage gives Green Bay another veteran option as it sorts through the competition behind its top corners. If he pushes his way into the mix for a starting role, the Packers secondary could look a lot different than the early offseason chatter suggested. [Read more 🡒]