1. WR CHAD JOHNSON, No. 36, 2001: Forget the all-time numbers, the six Pro Bowls, the two names, the unstoppable burst off the line of scrimmage that scorched all cornerbacks from Hall-of-Famer Champ Bailey on a Monday night to rookie top ten pick Pacman Jones in a fourth quarter. But The Ocho was and remains a social media pioneer in all of sports.
2. QB BOOMER ESIASON, No. 38, 1984: Speaking of media. This is how great Joe Burrow is in a huddle and locker room. He’s already drawing comparisons to the greatest locker room leader of his time in any sport. If you don’t think so, google the 1987 strike and the trenches that were the NFL.
3. MLB BILL BERGEY, No. 31, 1969: He was so good, probably the greatest defensive player the Bengals ever had (with apologies to Geno Atkins), they sued to keep him when the World Football League signed him. Bergey won, but so did Bengals founder Paul Brown in a 1974 trade he sent Bergey to the Eagles for a first-round pick in 1977 and a first- and…