Sports

The Best Athletes Who Wore #1 

Ranker Sports
Updated February 19, 2020 418 votes 71 voters 2.9k views 30 items

List Rules Vote up the top athletes who wore 1 for at least one professional season

The list of famous athletes who wore 1 as their jersey number showcases greatness across all sports. Many incredible players wanted to showcase they were the No. 1 player in their respective sport by wearing the number on their uniform. 

Some of the premier NFL players with the No. 1 jersey include legendary quarterback Warren Moon and current football star Cam Newton. Meanwhile, names like Oscar Robertson, Tracy McGrady, and Kemba Walker are among the top basketball players who wore 1 on their uniforms. Baseball and hockey also have strong representation for this jersey number in the history of the NHL and MLB. 

So check out the list of athletes who wore 1 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. Vote up your favorite athletes to wear the number 1, then head over and check out some other iconic jersey numbers, including the best players to wear No. 11.

Terry Sawchuk is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Athletes Who Wore #1
Photo: Metaweb (FB)
1

League: NHL
Years active: 1950-1970
Stats: 971 games played, 445 wins, 10,376 saves

Career Highlights

  • 4x Stanley Cup Champion (1952, 1954, 1955, 1967)
  • 7x All-Star
  • 4x Vezina Trophy Winner

Age: Dec. at 41 (1929-1970)

Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada

Team: Detroit Red Wings

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#4 of 104 The Top Hockey Goaltenders of All Time #84 of 119 The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Timelisted on Famous Left Handed People

Jacques Plante is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Athletes Who Wore #1
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
2

League: NHL
Years active: 1953-1975
Stats: 837 games played, 437 wins, 20,864 saves

Career Highlights

  • 6x Stanley Cup Champion (1953, 1956-1959, 1960)
  • 7x All-Star
  • 7x Vezina Trophy Winner
  • Hart Memorial Trophy Winner (1962)

Age: Dec. at 57 (1929-1986)

Birthplace: Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Canada

Team: Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs

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#6 of 104 The Top Hockey Goaltenders of All Time #7 of 109 The Greatest Montreal Canadiens of All Time

Johnny Bower is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Athletes Who Wore #1
Photo: Metaweb (FB)/CC-BY
3

League: NHL
Years active: 1954-1970
Stats: 552 games played, 250 wins, 13,513 saves

Career Highlights

  • 4x Stanley Cup Champion (1962-1964, 1967)
  • All-Star (1961)
  • 2x Vezina Trophy (1961, 1965)

 

 

Age: Dec. at 93 (1924-2017)

Birthplace: Prince Albert, Canada

Team: New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs

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#124 of 497 The Best NHL Players of All Time #9 of 104 The Top Hockey Goaltenders of All Time #5 of 76 The Best Toronto Maple Leafs of All Time

Billy Martin is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Athletes Who Wore #1
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
4

League: MLB
Years active: 1950-1961
Stats: .257 batting average, 64 home runs, 333 RBIs

Career Highlights

  • All-Star (1956)
  • 4× World Series champion (1951–1953, 1956)

Age: Dec. at 61 (1928-1989)

Birthplace: Berkeley, California, United States of America

Team: New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians

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