Herman Weaver

This jersey is one of the great anomalies in Broncos history.

Following the 1963 season, the Denver Broncos retired the number 18 in honor of Frank Tripucka, the first starting quarterback in team history. The number was to never be worn again.

Fast forward 14 years to the start of the 1977 season, the Broncos acquired punter Herman "Thunderfoot" Weaver via trade from the Detroit Lions. Entering his 8th year in the NFL, Weaver had worn number 18 throughout his NFL career up until that point. So, as numbers were handed out for the 1977 season, Weaver was given the number 18 even though it had been retired, wearing the number in the preseason as evidenced by game books from those games. He was released by the Broncos at the end of training camp, so the number did not surface in a regular season game due to that.

This is that number18 jersey that was worn by Weaver in the 1977 preseason, making him the unknown 3rd Bronco in team history to wear the number 18 in a game (the number was famously un-retired in 2012 for Peyton Manning after he joined the Broncos upon asking for permission from Frank Tripucka).