Legends Jerseys - #1 to Roundtree to End the Year?
Since we are giving out Legends' Jersey Patches this late in the season to seniors like Kovacs, what say we give Roy Roundtree the #1 jersey for the last three games of his career (maybe four if something crazy happens)? Is it an insult to Desmond and the 21 patch to do so?
November 12th, 2012 at 9:35 AM ^
I think Roy is probably more deserving of wearing the #1 jersey, then some of the previous wearers. I'm looking at you Tyrone Butterfield.
EDIT: However at this point in the season, just leave it alone.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:38 AM ^
That's because it wasn't a tradition when Tyrone Butterfield wore it. It was just another jersey number. It didn't become a "tradition" until Braylon Edwards.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:41 AM ^
jokez
apparently
I'm
not
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funny
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I
Think
I
am
.
November 12th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 11:11 AM ^
I know you're the expert.
November 12th, 2012 at 3:28 PM ^
and they're running out of you!
November 12th, 2012 at 11:13 AM ^
It wasn't attached to an endowed scholarship before Braylon, but it definitely was a tradition before then. It's only been worn by wide receivers over the past 30 years: Carter, McMurtry, Alexander, Butterfield, Terrell, and Edwards.
Butterfield was actually a blue-chip recruit and was given the number as a freshman, possibly as a recruiting promise. The concept of "earning" the jersey didn't exist then, but it was understood that only a receiver would wear it.
November 12th, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
I would disagree. It didn't have a scholarship attached to it before Braylon created it, and didn't have the "you make grades and work harder than anyone else in the group" tag until Carr made that a motivation for Edwards, but David Terrell requested it because of Carter and Alexander, and just from fan memory I felt it had meaning then. Even when it was just Carter's number it had meaning because it was the number of one of the greatest college football players ever.
November 12th, 2012 at 12:32 PM ^
Ondre Pipkins asked for #56 because of LaMarr Woodley. That doesn't make it a tradition.
November 12th, 2012 at 2:06 PM ^
...but you're wrong. When Greg McMurtry received the #1 in the late 80s, it was clear that the jersey was bestowed on him as an homage to AC. When Alexander was assigned the jersey, it cemented the tradition.
November 12th, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^
The coaches not giving it out for a number of years, now, also shows their acknowledgment that #1 is a special number.
November 12th, 2012 at 3:26 PM ^
...and when Butterfield got it?
November 12th, 2012 at 4:25 PM ^
...a miss. It happens.
November 12th, 2012 at 8:20 PM ^
he was granted an opportunity to play baseball and given the #1 by request, both of which were rather atypical in the Schembechler era.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:38 AM ^
I can't see them giving two Legends jerseys to the same kid in the same season. Getting the Howard jersey was honor enough.
November 12th, 2012 at 1:14 PM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 2:53 PM ^
That's not a fair way to evaluate them. Winning the Heisman is dependent on a lot of factors, including team success and whether or not there are other Heisman-caliber players out there. In Desmond's year, there were no other clear rivals for the Heisman, so he won easily.
Carter had more catches for more yards and more TDs than Desmond did in his career. He set a Big Ten record for receiving TDs that lasted over 20 years. To say he didn't have as good a career is very questionable. He played in an era when we didn't throw the ball that much. If we had passed as often as we did in the Grbac years, he'd have been a Heisman winner (I believe he was a finalist anyway).
November 12th, 2012 at 7:23 PM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 8:27 PM ^
Carter was a three time All-American, Howard made the list once. Also, looking at their pass offenses (starting QB's only, which isn't perfect but at least it doesn't count any garbage time against the receivers):
Year | Yards | Total Pass | % |
1979 | 462 | 2017 | 22.90% |
1980 | 844 | 1522 | 55.43% |
1981 | 952 | 1661 | 57.31% |
1982 | 818 | 1735 | 47.14% |
1989 | 136 | 1081 | 12.58% |
1990 | 1025 | 1911 | 53.63% |
1991 | 985 | 2085 | 47.24% |
Carter was a much bigger part of Michigan's receiving game than Desmond was, over the course of their careers. You won't hear me say anything negative about Desmond's career, but the offense changed dramatically between Carter's non-freshman years and Desmond's.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:37 AM ^
Would have to be done at this week's game, so no.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:37 AM ^
He's earned #21. That is an honor. By upgrading him to #1, yes, that would definitely be an insult.
He's had two good games - I love his enthusiasm and attitude, but still, its been two games. Let him build the #21 status by continuing to play great.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:38 AM ^
Isn't Braylon supposed to be tasked with who wears the #1 because of the scholorship or something?
November 12th, 2012 at 9:40 AM ^
It's not his decision alone. It's also up to the coaches.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:44 AM ^
No. 1 is Braylon's endowed scholorship jersey and not a Legends jersey.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:54 AM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
That's okay - the money is probably just sitting in a bank account earning interest so it can pay for more scholarships down the road.
November 12th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
No, the endowment funds a scholarship every year. If someone wears #1, it goes to that player's scholarship specifically, but otherwise it just goes in the general fund.
November 12th, 2012 at 11:55 AM ^
Too funny! As if banks even paid interest these days.
November 12th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
Yeah, screw that guy for donating a boatload of money to the university!
November 12th, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^
...donated boatloads of money to the University. But it seems that Braylon is the only one to have attached a string to it.
November 12th, 2012 at 12:44 PM ^
...people donate money all the time to different organizations for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, as you assert, people donate just because they are altruistic. But I would contend that many people donate large sums of money with a string or two attached. As one tiny example, walk around the campus and see how many buildings have someone's name scrawled all over them due to their donation.
November 12th, 2012 at 1:06 PM ^
I don't think there really is any string attached. Braylon does not choose who wears the number. He was upset when RR wanted to give it to a DB, but I don't think the agreement specifically gave him veto power. RR didn't feel a need to contest the issue and let it go.
November 12th, 2012 at 2:17 PM ^
I don't think it's a case of not liking Braylon, or thinking he's done something wrong. But his scholarship has unnecessarily complicated handing out a jersey number. It's not exactly fair for the coaches
November 12th, 2012 at 10:34 AM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 10:59 AM ^
I agree with this.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:38 AM ^
wearing a legends jersey (and, yes, I think it would be an insult to Desmond to change).
Funchess has made some great catches and will be playing four years (and Treadwell isn't showing us the love).
November 12th, 2012 at 9:42 AM ^
Has a TE ever worn the #1 at Michigan? Would be unusual to give it to a TE.
November 12th, 2012 at 12:00 PM ^
Now that I think about it, we almost never hear about the #1 in any pre-Anthony Carter context. It's almost like it didn't exist before then which is odd given the length of U of M fooball history.
November 12th, 2012 at 12:00 PM ^
Now that I think about it, we almost never hear about the #1 in any pre-Anthony Carter context. It's almost like it didn't exist before then which is odd given the length of U of M fooball history.
November 12th, 2012 at 1:16 PM ^
AC made that number what it is.
November 12th, 2012 at 1:50 PM ^
Player | Position | Years Worn |
Angus G. Goetz | LT | 1919-20 |
Robert Jerome Dunne | G | 1921 |
Paul G. Goebel | E | 1922 |
Harry Kipke | HB | 1923 |
Dave Whiteford | DB | 1973-75 |
Gregg Willner | PK/P | 1976-78 |
Anthony Carter | WR | 1979-82 |
Greg McMurtry | WR | 1986-89 |
Derrick Alexander | WR | 1990-93 |
Tyrone Butterfield | WR | 1994-96 |
David Terrell | WR | 1998-2000 |
Braylon Edwards | WR | 2003-04 |
#1
The most coveted jersey number in Michigan football lure, the #1 has been worn by a total of 12 players during the 130-year history of the program. Three-time All-American Anthony Carter made the number popular when he wore the jersey during his player career (1979-82), and the #1 sweater has been given to a wide receiver five times since Carter adorned the number.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/021910aad.html
November 12th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^
A Left Tackle wore it? Give it to Lewan! Its Tradition.
November 12th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 9:43 AM ^
If Bo were still alive, he'd have just offered Treadwell the #1 jersey to get him to commit. That's what he did with Greg McMurtry, after all. Hoke obviously doesn't know Michigan Tradition.
/sarcasm
November 12th, 2012 at 9:46 AM ^
I was thinking that Funchess would be the perfect candidate for Kramer's #87 jersey. I would think that Carter, Alexander, and Edwards would rather keep the #1 for a receiver. I also think that the #2 should be reserved strickly for a DB.
November 12th, 2012 at 10:03 AM ^
I have a feeling Funch Bunch will be rocking the 87 next year.
November 12th, 2012 at 9:41 AM ^
November 12th, 2012 at 10:00 AM ^
...is unlikely to be awarded for at least another year. And yes, I do support it being added to the Legends Jersey group honoring Anthony Carter. The Braylon scholarship thing unnecessarily complicates the selection process.