We begin our series with 1-10. At the end of the week, we'll let fans know who is hailed the best among this group. We will also incorporate our fans' opinion.

Behind the Numbers - #1

During the summer long series, we'll be highlighting a WMU football player with the best accolades and statistical success from the past years through their jersey number.

Only 10 players in WMU football history have slipped on the #1 jersey.  The first being running back Reggie Hilton in 1978. Throughout the years the number one jersey has compiled 503 catches, 6,002 yards and 44 touchdowns.  Its also recorded 296 total tackles and nine interceptions. 

All players to don the number one have been great, however only one stands alone as the best player to wear the number. Wide receiver Steve Neal from 1997-2000 had 235 catches for 3,599 yards and 27 touchdowns.  Neal was named First Team All-MAC three times (1998-2000), while also gaining recognition as an All-American candidate in 2000. During his time he held receiving records for career receptions (235), yards (3,599) and touchdowns (27) at WMU. He is still in the top 10 for career and single-season receiving records. 

Other notable players to wear number one include cornerback EJ Biggers who amassed 134 total tackles and 7 interceptions. Biggers then went on to play in the NFL where he was drafted in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is currently with the Buccaneers and in his three year career has registered 117 tackles and two interceptions. 

For the 2012-13 Broncos junior wide receiver Darrin Duncan will wear number one.  Duncan, a junior college transfer had 47 catches, 577 yards and one touchdown last year at Mt. San Antonio. 

Behind the Numbers - #2

Continuing the summer long series, it's jersey #2.  Since 1977, 12 players have worn number two. Five of which are defensive players. The first player to wear number two was running back Dan Memmen.

Number two has compiled 229 catches, 4,106 yards and 27 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.  Defensively it has 653 tackles and 23 interceptions. 

The number one player to wear jersey number two goes to cornerback Ronald Rogers (1998-2001).  Rogers amassed 214 tackles, 14 interceptions and 38 pass deflections.  He ranks fourth all-time in career interceptions (14) at WMU and is first in all-time career pass deflections (38).  He was named Second Team All-MAC in 2000 before earning First Team All-MAC the following year.  Rogers played for NFL Europe's Scottish Claymores (2003), CFL's Ottawa Renegades (2005) and AFL's Tampa Bay Storm (2007).

Other Bronco greats to wear number two include cornerback Heron O'Neal (1995-1997) who had 214 tackles and eight interceptions and running back Brandon West (2006-2009) who rushed for 3,617 yards and 25 touchdowns. He is also the NCAA Division FBS career kick return yards (3,118) and all-purpose yards (7,764) record holder.

Junior Quarterback Tyler Van Tubbergen and junior safety Demetrius Pettway are wearing number two for the 2012-13 team this season.  Tubbergen threw for 444 yards and seven touchdowns last season, while Pettway had 90 tackles and two interceptions.

  Behind the Numbers - #3

Three things can happen when you put a football into the air, and two of them are bad. For WMU, athletes that have wore #3 it's been all good.

The number three has totaled 213 catches, 4,434 receiving yards, 11,329 passing yards and 128 touchdowns and 182 tackles and nine interceptions. It was 1977 that running back Mike Drake and WMU football first saw the number three jersey.

Undoubtedly the face of jersey number three belongs to quarterback Tim Hiller (2005-2009).  Hiller threw for 11,329 yards and 99 touchdowns during his playing days.  He holds WMU career records for passing yards (11,329), completion percentage (.629) and passing touchdowns (99). He also holds the single-season passing touchdowns record at 36 as well. 

Hiller was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2005 as he threw for 1,334 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was honored with Third Team All-MAC (2008-2009), followed by an Academic the following year.  In 2009 he was an Academic All-American and was a recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy which is given to the player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement

Other honorable mentions for the number three-jersey award are wide receiver Kendrick Mosley (00'-03') who had 138 catches, 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns. And, cornerback Tristan Moss (92'-95) who made 68 tackles and seven interceptions.

Throwing on the number three for the 2012-13 Broncos is junior safety Johnnie Simon, who had 114 tackles and two interceptions last season.

Behind the Numbers - #4

Number four on the WMU all-time jersey list was dominated by wide receivers as of the 12 players to ever wear the number, 10 were wide receivers. However the first player to wear the number was a defensive back, Pat Humes back in 1977. 

Over the years, the jersey has hauled in 243 catches for 3,068 yards, 17 touchdowns and one lone interception.

For all the players that wore number four, undoubtedly it had to be a wide receiver winning the award.  Wide Receiver Josh Bush (1998-2001) had 150 catches, 1,899 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Bush is top 10 in career receptions (150) and yards (1,899) at WMU.  He was named Second Team All-MAC team in 2001. 

Other players to wear number four were wide receiver Will Atwater (1991-1994) who compiled 40 catches, 551 yards and two touchdowns.

Behind the Numbers - #5

The #5 is a popular jersey at WMU as 21 players dating back to running back Dave Brama in 1978 have worn it.

Overall the 21 players have racked up 71 catches, 6,150 yards and 29 touchdowns. Defensively there have been 72 tackles; one interception and one fumble recovery.

With all the players wearing this number, it was hard enough trying to pick just one. Just the two best players to wear number five are quarterback Jonathan Drach (1999) and wide receiver Antonio Thomas (2000-2002)

Drach in one year of wearing number five passed for 3,379 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was also named Academic All-MAC. Thomas grabbed 71 catches, for 778 yards and six touchdowns. 

Other notables are defensive back Deshon Lawrence (2007-2009) who had 34 tackles and one interception, while another was running back Lewis Howard (1984-1987) who had 1,412 yards rushing.

Sophomore wide receiver Timmy Keith will be the 22^nd player in program's history to wear number five.

Behind the Numbers - #6

Seemingly the second most popular jersey number out of the 1-10's is #6. Twenty players since quarterback Pat Humes back in 1975 have worn this number.

Over its 36-year career and 20 different players, number six has 27 catches, 1,932 yards, 13 touchdowns, 288 tackles, seven forced fumbles and 15 interceptions.

Making over half of those total tackles and deemed best player to wear number six is cornerback Londen Fryar (2004-2006,2008).  Fryar put together 160 tackles; seven interceptions and 27 pass deflections during his career. He ranks fifth all-time at WMU in career pass deflections (27), second in pass deflections in a season (16) and has the most deflections in a game (6) against Akron (2007).

These stats led Fryar to become a First Team All-MAC selection in 2006-07, while being named Second Team All-MAC in 2008. 

Another big-time player to wear number six was running back Otis Cheathem (1984-1985). Cheathem rushed for 1,461 yards and eight touchdowns, while also catching 18 for 82 yards and one touchdown.

Freshman wide receiver Kendrick Roberts will wear number six entering his redshirt season with the Broncos. Roberts had 40 catches, 736 yards and six touchdowns in 2010 for Southwestern Academy. He was named Second Team all-valley his junior year followed up by a First Team all-valley season the following.

Behind the Numbers - #7

The most overlooked part of a football team is special teams. But when it comes to wearing #7, two of the 16 players to ever wear the number are kickers.

Since 1975 when quarterback Kevin Kahl wore number seven for the first time, the jersey has attained 110 catches, 6,262 yards, and 38 touchdowns. While on defense it has gained 33 tackles and 11 interceptions. Overlooked many times is special teams, number seven has went 34-for-58, hitting on 53 percent of field goals, and has averaged 37 yards per punt on 5,132 punt yards.

Since special teams dominate the number seven statistical history, punter Zak Kemp (1995-1997) gets the best jersey award. Kemp racked up 5,152 yards punting the ball and averaging 37 yards per punt. He also has hit on 7-of-16 field goals, giving him a field goal percentage of 43 percent.

Honorable mentions for the number seven award would be kicker Kevin Knope (1992-1994) who made 27-for-42 field goals and had a field goal percentage of 64 percent. Wide Receiver Herb Martin (2006-2007) also made the honorable mention list with 72 catches, 830 yards and six touchdowns.

Freshman cornerback Ronald Zamort will shoulder the load of wearing number seven this season.  Zamort is a 5-10', 170 pound redshirt freshman from Delray Beach, FLA.

Behind the Numbers - #8

Two, four, six, Eight...who do we "apprecEight!"  The jersey #8 was first brought to the eyes of WMU fans back in 1976 by kicker Dave Gibson. 

Since 1976, the jersey number eight has brought 272 catches, 3,170 yards and 25 touchdowns. Its also had 75 tackles, nine interceptions and eight forced fumbles.

The jersey of number eight gets no better than strong safety Willie Berrios (1986-1988) who had 305 tackles and eight forced fumbles in his career. Berrios holds the record for most tackles in a single game (27) against Central Michigan in 1987.    In 1988, he was honored with First Team All-MAC recognition.

A close runner-up and could easily be recognized as the best number eight is wide receiver Tony Knox (1995-1996).  Knox was named to First Team All- MAC (95-96') while amassing 114 catches, 1,184 yards and nine touchdowns throughout his playing career.

Junior college transfer Terry Easmon will wear number eight this year for the Broncos. Junior Easmon is transferring from American River after being named first team all-conference and having 68 tackles and eight sacks in 2011. 

Behind the Numbers - #9

The #9 jersey roared onto the WMU football team back in 1953 with wide receiver Dan Acosta. Since then, 13 players have made the number nine jersey great.

Over the past 60 years that the number nine jersey has been in play, it's earned 87 catches, 5,514 yards and 21 touchdowns. It's also compiled 337 tackles and 18 interceptions, with one player at the top of the food chain amongst the players to wear this jersey.

It is none other than Detroit Lions and former WMU safety (2005-2008) Louis Delmas. Delmas at WMU had 310 tackles, 12 interceptions and one touchdown. As a Bronco he earned many awards such as Second Team All-MAC (2005, 2007), First Team All-MAC (2008) and Phil Steele's Fourth Team All-America (2008).  He is in the top 10 in career tackles (310)

In the 2009 NFL Draft, he was drafted 33^rd overall in the second round by the Detroit Lions, the second highest draft pick in WMU history.  In his third season in Detroit, Delmas has 229 tackles, two interceptions and one touchdown.

Junior cornerback Tronic Williams will carry the number nine jersey load this season for WMU.  Williams has eight tackles in his career. 

Behind the Numbers - #10

Wrapping up the first series of numbers, is #10.  First worn back in 1953 by Ralph Seigel, throughout it's 59 years at WMU, the number has been through 21 different players.

Fifty-nine years is a long time to compile stats. The number 10 has had 145 catches, 1,148 yards and five touchdowns, also tack on 30 tackles, two-fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Nobody has played better wearing the number 10 jersey than wide receiver Joe Chapple (2003-2006).  Chapple made 75 catches for 744 yards and four touchdowns during his career. 

Players also to wear number 10 include defensive back Doug Ward (1977-1979) who had 12 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one interception, also a fullback cracked the list as Robin Mikel (75-76') had 52 catches for 200 yards.

Sophomore quarterback Zach Wynn slips number 10 over his shoulder pads this season.  The 6'2, 207-pound quarterback has played in two career games and made his collegiate debut against Akron on November 25.