legends jerseys

[Patrick Barron]

UPDATE: A version of this published without the 2nd half of it and I didn't notice because I posted then ran out to pick up the kids.

A conversation in the last MGoPodcast on Rayshaun Benny's weird number (26) got me thinking that nobody has really put into words what certain jersey numbers mean in college football. I started working on a guide to what various numbers mean on various types of players, but 100 numbers is quite the undertaking, so I thought in the meantime I'd nerd out with some of the information I've picked up about jersey number assignment at Michigan.

[After THE JUMP: Max nerd]
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[Danny Moloshok/Stringer]

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT:

FOOTBALL EVE 2018, hosted by Matt Demorest of HomeSure Lending, will be at 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 30, at 327 E. Hoover, Ann Arbor—the same place as last year. 12802hsllogoAlso the same food as last year—Scratch BBQ and Catering—since Adam and David didn't get to try it.

We won't do the podcast live this time since it felt a bit awkward. Just a Q&A, possibly trivia, and also possibly some historic videogaming and actual, real, live, college football. We'll have beer as well—gotta set that up still.

What's FOOTBALL EVE? An annual MGoBlog get-together right before the season. It started in 2015 when Demorest and I were both asked to leave our respective houses before the Utah game because residential zones are not capable of handing that much nervous energy. Brian ghosts in with zero sleep because he's always behind on the previews. We have beer. It's not complicated. We're doing it Thursday night instead of Friday because so many people are going to Notre Dame. Matt buys everyone beer and afterwards everyone who comes by remembers that if they're buying or refinancing a home he's the guy to talk to.

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In honor of the freshman getting their numbers, this week we're not picking a single player for each position but choosing the number that has been best represented for each position.

Previously:

This week: Here's the snap from #(59? 50? 60?), #(16? 7?) drops back, fakes to #(yeah it's 33), looks downfield for #(86 right? j/k), now checks down to #(80-something); #(70-something) is giving him all sorts of time...he dumps it off to #(23 perhaps? 20? do we remember a better one?), and #(who remembers guard numbers?) is there to escort...he's gonna score!!!

Rules: Not judging on peak performance here. It's more about how many games they started, how much hardware they took home, and the total sum contributions of all players playing that position while wearing that number. You can count for multiple numbers but your work at another number doesn't count. For example Devin Gardner's contribution to #7 is mostly running around like a headless chicken. His 2012 work counts toward #12 at WR and QB. And his 2013-'14 seasons (starting at ND '13) are counted toward 98.

All photos from priceless resource UM Bentley Library unless stated otherwise. All-Americans highlighted.

Quarterback #7

Rick Leach, Drew Henson, Chad Henne, et al.

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Center & Right from MGoBlue.com

Harry Kohl was no slouch in the late '30s but it's Rick Leach who made the #7 special for Michigan quarterbacks by starring in the latter half of the 1970s. Because of Leach a number of five-star prospects chose to honor him. That's how you add Drew Henson and Chad Henne, plus Shane Morris, Spencer Brinton, Devin Gardner for his first two years, Demetrius Brown when he was a senior, and early 1980s QB David Hall.

Other contenders:

#16: Denard Robinson, John Navarre, Steve Smith, Jay Riemersma, Mark Elzinga, Scott Crawford

#27: Bennie Friedman, Don Moorhead, Dick Vidmer, Stan Noskin

#10: Tom Brady, Todd Collins, Bill Dickey, Clayton Richard, Steven Threet, Dylan McCaffrey, and my doc Kyle Anderson hi doc!

Enough of these:

#8: John O'Korn, Nick Sheridan, Jim Breaugh, Russell Bellomy

Bring it back:

#46: Harry Newman is one of the greatest players in college football history

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[Hit THE JUMP for the controversial pick, and a controversial pick that you probably didn't realize was one]

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Press release:

The University of Michigan Athletic Department announced today (Wednesday, July 28) plans to take the jerseys associated with the Michigan Football Legends back off the field. Gerald Ford (#48), Tom Harmon (#98), Desmond Howard (#21), Ron Kramer (#87), Bennie Oosterbaan (#47) and the Wistert brothers (#11) -- Albert, Alvin and Whitey -- will have their jerseys retired in a ceremony against Ohio State on Nov. 28.

This means that Desmond Howard's jersey, previously available, will now be consigned to history. I liked the legends jersey concept, if not the execution, for both practical and sentimental reasons.

There are a lot of players, and they need a lot of numbers, and having them on the field was a reminder of Michigan's history. It didn't work out the way we hoped, but having 98 on QB was cool and distinctly Michigan.

The patches were too prominent and the frequent number switches annoying; I still liked the idea of having 98 and 47 and etc out there. Not having 21 is kind of sad, isn't it?