College football's greatest legacy numbers
Ivan Maisel's series on the all-time numbers team got me thinking about the most storied legacy numbers in college football.
This is a bit of a dicey process since some schools have put their great jerseys out of commission, essentially stopping the legacy. But many schools still do treat a certain number as an honor for a prized player to wear.
My original choice for the top slot on the list was the No. 44 at Syracuse. It was the number worn by the great Jim Brown and was really made famous by Ernie Davis, who led the Orange to a national title and later won a Heisman Trophy. Davis, legend has it, actually chose Syracuse over Notre Dame because the school gave him the opportunity to wear No. 44. Floyd Little, another 'Cuse star, later donned the number, as did standout FB Rob Konrad, who was the last man to wear it. The university even changed its zip code from 13210 to 13244, too. But last November the number was retired, which ironically happened 44 years after Davis won the Heisman Trophy.
Anyhow, that's what this week's list is about, the greatest legacy numbers in college football.
1. Michigan's No. 1: This tradition started with Anthony Carter (the first time he touched the ball as a Wolverine came on a punt that he returned 78 yards for a touchdown) and has only grown over the last 25 years. The number has been passed down to other Michigan stars like Derrick Alexander, David Terrell and Braylon Edwards.
The story of Edwards and the No. 1 is especially telling. Back when Edwards first committed to Michigan in 2001, he told coach Lloyd Carr he wanted to wear the number of the receiver he grew up idolizing, Carter. That's because his father, former Wolverine RB Stanley Edwards, had spent years raving about his teammate Carter's greatness. The younger Edwards wanted to emulate that spirit. But Carr maintained that his young wideout wasn't ready for all that would come with the No. 1. Instead, he told Edwards he'd have to earn it first. A few spectacular seasons later, Edwards did that. He got his No. 1 and went on to win the 2004 Biletnikoff Award.
In April, Edwards' announced that he was giving a $500,000 scholarship endowment to the Michigan football player who wears the No. 1 jersey. If no player currently wears the No. 1 jersey, then the award will be granted to another player who exhibits exceptional off-field behavior and conducts himself as a team player.
2. Texas' No. 60: Even though UT is known for great running backs, and now Vince Young, a big chunk of Longhorn tradition was carved out by tough-guy LB Tommy Nobis, an Outland Trophy and Maxwell Award winner and the centerpiece of the 1963 national championship team. However, the No. 60 tradition at UT actually started with Johnny Treadwell, who took it over after teammate Bobby Goodwin was injured. (This Daily Texas story has more about how the tradition grew.)
Like most great traditions, UT's No. 60 has been saved for only the ones deemed very special. Texas standouts Robin Sendlein (1980), Jeff Leiding (1983) and Brit Hager (1988) all wore No. 60 during their senior seasons at linebacker. Hager, UT's all-time leading tackler, and Leiding both earned All-American honors. Brian Jones was the last to wear the number for an entire season, playing as No. 60 in 1989 and 1990. Two years ago, another UT star linebacker Derrick Johnson donned No. 60 for his last game as a Longhorn out of respect to the legacy. "After talking to Tommy Nobis and really understanding the history of the number, I thought it was important for me to wear it for this game to honor him and all of the guys that have worn it," Johnson said at the time.
3. Alabama's No. 12: The number itself always seemed to be "the" quarterback's number, but it seems to stand for something even more special at Alabama, where legends Joe Namath and Ken Stabler donned it. The legacy only grew stronger when favorite son Brodie Croyle did the number proud. Croyle battled through a pile of injuries and a staggering amount of coaching turnovers to have a great career in Tuscaloosa.
4. Notre Dame's No. 3: Joe Montana is the most famous ND player to have worn No. 3, although 1950s QB Ralph Guglielmi was good enough to finish fourth in the Heisman voting in 1954. He entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Two other hyped Irish quarterbacks were also given No. 3, Rick Mirer and Ron Powlus. Darius Walker, ND's starting TB, is currently doing just fine wearing it.
Walker, by the way, is only a junior so I guess high school senior/ND commitment Jimmy Clausen probably isn't starting out with No. 3 in 2007.
5. Ohio State's No. 36: Gotta love it when a running back's number gets dominated by linebackers. Growing up in the '70s and early '80s, this one symbolized hard-nosed linebackers since it was worn by Tom Cousineau, Marcus Marek and Chris Spielman, three Buckeye greats.
6. USC's No. 55: Tailback U. has produced more than its share of great defenders and many of the finest have worn No. 55. Of course, that was part of the sales pitch to land former Florida blue-chipper Keith Rivers, who has it now. Rivers, entering his junior season, is one of the Trojans' better defensive players but has been slowed by injuries for a large part of his career. He is hoping to follow in the class of previous Trojan greats: Junior Seau (1988-89), a 12-time NFL All-Pro linebacker; Willie McGinest (1990-93) and Chris Claiborne (1996-98), the school's first Butkus Award winner.
7. Miami's No. 5: One of the few jerseys that doesn't seem to fit a given position. Melvin Bratton, a standout Canes RB in the mid '80s and perhaps the godfather of Miami's swagger, was the first one to bring the number to prominence. Later All-American return man Kevin Williams wore No. 5. However, the number really came into prominence after Edgerrin James starred for the Canes and helped sparked a re-birth from the probation days. James' later stardom in the NFL or the fact that he donated a ton of money to UM (the team room in the football complex bears his name) only helped strengthen the legacy. Since he left UM, star WR Andre Johnson has worn No. 5 and so has safety Greg Threat, the team's leading tackler in 2004. Several incoming freshmen are already lobbying for the number now, including James' nephew Javarris.
8. Penn State's No. 31: The Nittany Lions have had a bunch of great linebackers, but there hasn't been many who have donned the same jersey number. This one was the one Shane Conlan made famous, and it was also worn by Andre Collins and Mac Morrison. Now, Paul Posluszny is taking it to another level.
9. Nebraska's No. 20: Johnny Rodgers' old jersey got a little more shine on it when Husker All-American safety Josh Bullocks wore it a few years ago. Currently, Marlon Lucky, a heavily touted tailback from the Los Angeles area, was given the number, although he has yet to emerge for Nebraska.
10. Mississippi's No. 38: This is a jersey that represents a lot more than just football talent. It honors the legacy of former Ole Miss DB Chucky Mullins, whose promising career was cut short after an injury in an Oct. 28, 1989 homecoming game against Vanderbilt left him paralyzed. For months, Mullins was hospitalized because of the life-altering injury. Finally, with support from not only the Oxford-area but nationwide, Mullins returned to Ole Miss in January 1990 to pursue his degree. Tragically, on May 1, 1991, as he prepared for class, he stopped breathing and passed away five days later. Every year a rising senior Rebel defensive player is honored with the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. This year, Rebels' star Patrick Willis, the nation's top MLB and the team's leader, will be wearing No. 38. In 2005, Willis led the nation in solo tackles (nine per game), despite playing his junior season with a broken middle finger on his right hand, a sprained left knee, a right mid-foot injury and a partial AC joint separation of his right shoulder.
