87 days to FSU football: Who is the best No. 87 in Seminole history?

87 days remain until the Florida State football team begins its 2016 campaign in Orlando against Ole Miss. As such, our countdown of the greatest players to wear each number at FSU carries on. Today, its a glance at the best players to put on the garnet and gold No. 87.

No. 87 presents itself as an interesting number in our countdown as no Seminole donning the 87 has ever earned so much as an All-ACC recognition. That being said, a pair of Seminoles did earn academic honors while wearing No. 87 for FSU.

The first No. 87 to be recognized was wide receiver Phil Williams. Williams arrived on campus in 1978, Bobby Bowden's third year at Florida State, and wore the 87 for each of his four years on campus. Williams was a part of Florida State teams that went a combined 35-11 (76.1%) over his four-year career (1978-1981). In the 1979 and 1980 seasons, FSU made its first two appearances in the Orange Bowl in program history, both of which resulted in losses to Oklahoma. Regardless of those results, Williams was there for some of the formative years that put the Seminoles on the map. In his career, Williams twice was named an Academic All-American. In 1979, he was named to the first team and in his senior season (1981), he made the second team.

The other notable No. 87 in Florida State history is wideout Robert Morgan. Like Williams before him, Morgan sported the 87 for his entire career in Tallahassee. Morgan's five years at FSU were a crucial period of time, 1998-2002, which saw the Seminoles make national championship appearances in each of his first three seasons. Of those three appearances, Morgan and Florida State emerged victorious in one, taking the 1999 national title from Virginia Tech for the second title in program history. With regard to off the field honors, Morgan was a member of the 2002 All-ACC Academic team in his senior season.

The other former Seminoles to wear No. 87 are:

• William Swilley (1955)
• Roy Jones (1957)
• Ron Hinson (1958)
• Abner Bigbie (1959)
• Buddy Yarbrough (1960)
• Y.C. McNeese (1961)
• Bill Logay (1961)
• Terry Garvin (1963-1965)
• Wayne McDuffie (1966)
• Phil Yeldell (1967)
• Bill Rimby (1968)
• Ted Zaffran (1969)
• Russel Castleberry (1971)
• John Palermo (1972)
• Rudy Maloy (1973-1976)
• Ken McCranie (1977)
• Orlando Reyes (1982)
• Jesse Solomon (1983)
• Gaylon White (1983-1987)
• Tommy Fagan (1989-1990)
• Jeff Beekles (1991)
• Aaron Dely (1991)
• Jimm Patterson (1992)
• Billy Glenn (1993-1994)
• Kevin Prophette (1996)
• Matt Root (2004-2005)
• Caz Piurowski (2007)
• Cameron Wade (2008-2010)
• David Tyrell (2012)
• Jared Jackson (2013-present)

Feel free to chime in with your vote for the best No. 87 in FSU history in the poll and comments section below.