It is far too early to anoint Miami Dolphins Wilkins as the best player to ever wear the number 97 but it shouldn’t be too hard to outdo those that came before him.
Believe it or not, no player had ever worn the number 97 jersey number until 1987 when John Bosa, a monumental bust wore the number for three seasons. In 1992 Jeff Hunter wore the number for a season followed by Tyoka Jackson in 1994.
The number bounced around for a time but landed on long snapper John Denney for two seasons from 2005 to 2006.