What part of "retired number" does SMU not understand?

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

I seem to recall seeing Don Meredith's #17 retired last year.

I can understand not tearing the jersey off Emmanuel Sanders' back while his career was still going on, but now they assigned it to Jeremy Johnson, a freshman.

Just what Don Meredith needed, another slap in the face from the city of Dallas.

[PonyKai]

Well, perhaps...seeing as how there are 85 scholarship players on a team, plus walk ons, and numbers only go from 01-99...and we have other numbers that have 2 players wearing them, maybe you can't really retire a number. You can "retire it" and then set it up as an honor to wear it, a la Jerry LeVias.

I mean, presumably we would "retire" Dickerson, Meredith, LeVias, Gregg, Walker maybe Hunt, Wrote...so that's already five numbers down there. Down to at the most 92, 93 numbers to be assigned to 98 players. Imagine Alabama's predicament.

[mrydel]

They do not retire numbers at SMU, they retire jersies. As stated above, it allows the player to be honored and the number to remain active.

[gostangs]

you said another slap in the face - I'm not aware of other "slaps in the face" from Dallas regarding Meredith? Seems to me he has done quite well with his associations with SMU and Dallas. Both lucky to have each other.

[SMU 86]

Jerry Levias' number was never retired. However, it show be even if they are honoring it by selecting player to wear it.

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

They do not retire numbers at SMU, they retire jersies. As stated above, it allows the player to be honored and the number to remain active.

Looking back at SMU's press release, it does indeed say they retired the "jersey."

"Don, we'll still give out the number, but never again will someone wear the exact same shirt you wore."

Big whoop.

[mrydel]

For what its worth, my number is still being worn and I do not mind.

[PonyKai]

They do not retire numbers at SMU, they retire jersies. As stated above, it allows the player to be honored and the number to remain active.

Looking back at SMU's press release, it does indeed say they retired the "jersey."

"Don, we'll still give out the number, but never again will someone wear the exact same shirt you wore."

Big whoop.

Okay, so with 98 players on the team what are we exactly supposed to do when we "retire" 7-9 numbers? How about in another 25-50 years when we "retire" more? Just give players numbers from 100-200?

College football is different than any other sport. We aren't the Yankees, or any other baseball team that has 25 active roster members. They can afford to do it. Even the NFL only has 53 on the roster at any given time.

[Mestengo]

Give them all letters I'm still mad lol

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

They do not retire numbers at SMU, they retire jersies. As stated above, it allows the player to be honored and the number to remain active.

Looking back at SMU's press release, it does indeed say they retired the "jersey."

"Don, we'll still give out the number, but never again will someone wear the exact same shirt you wore."

Big whoop.

Okay, so with 98 players on the team what are we exactly supposed to do when we "retire" 7-9 numbers? How about in another 25-50 years when we "retire" more? Just give players numbers from 100-200?

College football is different than any other sport. We aren't the Yankees, or any other baseball team that has 25 active roster members. They can afford to do it. Even the NFL only has 53 on the roster at any given time.

I have no problem with not retiring numbers. I have no problem with honoring a player without retiring his number. I do have a problem with using terms like "retiring" and then not actually doing it.

[expony18]

easy answer would hae a "ring of fame" like most colleges and pro teams do......

[mrydel]

I think we have a "little flags flying at the top of the stadium" of fame, but no one can see them.

[Pony Fan]

Nobody wears 37 or 19.

[mrydel]

My redshirt year my practice number was 37. The defensive redshirts ran the opposing team's plays during the week and I was a RB. Sleepy Morgan always called me The Doaker.

[MustangStealth]

We did the same thing in basketball. Paulus Ritter wore Jim Krebs's number for a while before someone realized it was retired and he switched to 00.