What’s in a Number?August 1, 2012
by: CJ Oates
A jersey number is a very important, almost “sacred” thing. Picking the right football jersey can be a difficult decision and several factors can come into play. These factors can range from a favorite number to a number someone in your family once wore. I know when I first played quarterback in middle school, I wore number 10 in honor of my favorite quarterback, Kordell Stewart. Even though I felt great wearing my favorite player’s number year in and out, I didn’t have a number I could call mine.
I live by the motto: “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good.” So going into my freshman year of college picking a number was a big deal. I know for me wearing the number 2 has been a fixation mine. Most players enthusiasm for the game is increased by him wearing a certain number. In some cases, a few blue chip recruits have based their college decision on whether or not the school they wanted to attend had a certain number. For example, earlier this year you had two different incidents in recruits request for a certain number. A Clemson recruit, Jordan Leggett, asked Dabo Swinney if he could be assured of wearing number 10 in college. Another recruit, Kevon Seymour, a star DB prospect from California was reportedly upset about not being assigned his preferred number 1 jersey for the U.S. Army All-America Bowl.
Once the right number is chosen, it becomes difficult to change as it soon becomes part of one’s identity. The number that you are assigned to can make or break your image. Lets take for example, Mr. Swag Man aka Cam Newton and his number selection. Do you think he would have been as attractive as a player wearing number 13? Or what about Reggie Bush at USC had he blown up wearing number 38?
The old saying that goes, “the number doesn’t make the player, the player makes the number” may hold some truth. To some, jersey numbers really aren’t that important, but that’s not to say every player doesn’t have a favorite number. If you are a freshman and you don’t get the number that you prefer remember this, the guy that wears it has been doing the work, so they get the number. You get a number, work hard and then you’ll get what you want. But ultimately, what’s in a number? We want to hear your thoughts.
