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

[smuuth]

I would like to see the legends of SMU in bronze around the stadium area and others around campus like Notre Dame has on their campus, not just athletes but famous alumni!

[Longtime]

Of all the things to get upset about...sheesh.

It was made clear at the time that SMU does not retire numbers. It retires "jerseys" which is what you have to do in college football because otherwise, eventually you will run out of numbers. It's still a tremendous honor to be recognized with a jersey retirement, even more rare than being inducted into the SMU athletic hall of fame:

Meredith is the sixth SMU football standout and ninth SMU athlete or administrator overall to have his or her jersey retired. Previous honorees have been Raymond Berry (football), Cash Birdwell (trainer), Eric Dickerson (football), Forrest Gregg (football), Lamar Hunt (football), Karlin Kennedy (women's basketball), Jon Koncak (men's basketball), Jim Krebs (men's basketball) and Doak Walker (football).

[gostangs]

And we dont need any more ugly bronze statues....

[Cadillac]

Of all the things to get upset about...sheesh.

Winner.

-CoS

[RednBlue11]

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.

multiple players can have the same number, see Texas...obv. can't be on the field at the same time.

you will see this happening w/ freshman and special teams players who do not start...keeps them from using retired numbers.

[Longtime]

You will see the NCAA come up with some way to outlaw duplicate numbers, because they are a recruiting tool, plain and simple.

That's the reason there are so many stupid duplicate numbers on the UT roster - they promise them to recruits. And yes, I'm aware SMU has a couple of No. 2s who start. It's getting out of hand at places like UT but hopefully not SMU.

Yes, I know numbers can be special to athletes. But it's the way you play that makes the number, not the other way around.

[smusic 00]

NFL teams do the same thing. Cowboys have two 54's, two 22's, and two 43's in Ring...no one [deleted] about disrespect there.

[RednBlue11]

and hopefully there will be 2 88's one day

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

and hopefully there will be 2 88's one day

Yeah, Drew Pearson definitely deserves to be there.

[PonyKai]

Yep, agreed.

[Big Hoss]

What a lame thread.

[Bergermeister]

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.

The way it should be. I think seeing these numbers "playing" football is more of a reminder and an honor than some sewn-on numbers on a pennant in the end zone. I think the page in the program adequately honors those who brought fame to that number and the school - except Lamar Hunt, who never made much of an impact as a player - but is among the most renown in his undying support for his alma mater and the game of football.

[Tailgate#33]

and hopefully there will be 2 88's one day

Yeah, Drew Pearson definitely deserves to be there.

Dez Bryant

[Longtime]

Most of those jersey retirements occurred in one season. It had Jim Copeland's fingerprints all over it. With Copeland, a former NFL player, as AD, it was blatantly obvious the only criteria for jersey retirement was NFL Hall of Fame membership.

That's why Raymond Berry and Lamar Hunt, who didn't exactly have legendary playing careers at SMU, had their jerseys retired while true SMU stars like Don Meredith weren't included in that initial group. I think even Berry and Hunt, both being humble guys, made sheepish remarks about having their jerseys retired. Berry made All-SWC one year and Academic All-American, but that's hardly worthy of enshrinement.

I've got no problem honoring Ray Berry and Lamar Hunt, by the way, for being outstanding alums and bringing great honor to SMU. But a jersey retirement is recognition for on-field contributions and there were others who deserved to be honored before them under that criteria.

Not that I'm worked up about it, but just wanted to point out for historic purposes that the whole jersey retirement thing started as another Copeland-regime bungle.