#20 Jersey Number Question

[druski_2k5]

I was reading Wikipedia's page on Nebraska Cornhusker Football, and I knew that Johnny Rodgers number was retired, but I didn't know it was then un-retired from 1986-1990 for Johnny's son when he played for us. After he left, Rodgers number was permanently retired again. That makes sense.

 

My question is, when Marlon Lucky came here, he was permitted to wear #20 for the 2005 and 2006 season. Now I know Billy C basically stomped all over tradition, and may not have cared that Lucky was wearing a permanently retired jersey, which would not surprise me, but I was wondering if that was the real reason Lucky was able to wear #20 or not? Did we just forgo tradition and just issued him that number? I know guys wear different numbers on different sides of the ball with the rosters being large, but for a permanently retired number?

 

Also, for the 2007 season he switched to #5, so I'm wondering if the fact that it was a permanently retired number had any reason why Lucky changed or what?

 

For the 2007 season, Adi Kunalic wore #20, and Kunalic and Jase Dean shared the same #20 for the 2008 season, but since 2009, no one has been issued at #20.

 

Anyone with any insight on this?

 

/yay offseason topics...

[zoogs]

I think it's just retired jersey vs retired numbers. Very few retired numbers, but a lot of retired jerseys. The same name may have to do with why the jersey was temporarily unretired.

[druski_2k5]

Right. Retired numbers are one thing: Rodgers, Brown, Novak.

 

But retired jerseys, can be re-issued, whereas retired numbers, "should/can" not be re-issued.

 

For example:

 

#7 Eric Crouch ---- #7 DeJon Gomes

#15 Tommie Frazier ---- #15 Alfonzo Dennard and LaTravis Washington [too bad he couldn't get on the field somehow this year]

#98 Grant Wistrom ---- #98 Josh Williams

#34 Trev Alberts ---- #34 Cody Glenn [When he played here]

etc.

 

On the North end-zone press box, only Brown and Novak's numbers are in red, where everyone else has black name and black number, meaning their jersey was retired but their number was not, hence the numbers in red for Brown and Novak, but Rodgers is not.

 

Just curious how on that came about for Lucky was all.

[huskerscott]

The players above north stadium have all had there jerseys retired, not their number except for Bob Brown #64, I believe he is only Nebraska player to have his number retired. Some of players that have worn #20 in years past Marlon Lucky, Adi Kunalic, Josh Bullocks.

 

Oh yeah Novak had his number retired too.

[knapplc]

Johnny's son Terry attended UNL and Johnny allowed his number to be "unretired" so Terry could wear it. #20 went back into circulation for a while, but as of June, 2010, it has again been taken out of circulation. I don't know why Johnny's number isn't in red on the North Stadium. Maybe they're going to change that soon.

 

Here's the blurb from Huskers.com about retired jerseys/numbers:

 

Following the 1949 season, the N Club voted to retire jersey No. 60 in honor of Tom "Train Wreck" Novak's stellar career with the Cornhuskers. Novak, the first Nebraska player to earn this honor, had been a four-time All-Big Seven choice and a 1949 All-American.

 

Novak was the only NU player to have the distinction of a retired number, until Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers earned the distinction. Rodgers allowed his number to return to circulation when his son, Terry, joined the Huskers, but it has since returning to permanently retired status.

 

In 2004, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Brown's No. 64 joined Novak's hallowed No. 60 and Rodgers' No. 20, among the permanently retired numbers at Nebraska. Brown, whose jersey retirement ceremony occurred during NU's game with Colorado in 2004, became the 16th player in Husker history to have his jersey retired.

 

All-American Ndamukong Suh - one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history - joined Nebraska's list of retired jerseys in 2009. Suh won the Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik award in 2009, while becoming the first defensive player in history to win the Associated Press National Player-of-the-Year award.

 

All major national award winners at Nebraska automatically have their jerseys retired, but their numbers will still be available to active Huskers.

 

Nebraska's group of 17 players with retired jerseys certainly ranks among the best in the nation. Huskers who have earned the distinction of jersey retirement include three Heisman Trophy winners (Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch), eight Outland Trophy winners with nine awards (Larry Jacobson, Rich Glover, Dave Rimington (2), Dean Steinkuhler, Will Shields, Ndamukong Suh, Zach Wiegert, Aaron Taylor), five Lombardi Award winners (Rich Glover, Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler, Ndamukong Suh, Grant Wistrom), one Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner (Tommie Frazier), one Davey O'Brien Award winner (Eric Crouch), one Butkus Award winner (Trev Alberts), one Bronko Nagurksi Award winner (Ndamukong Suh), one Chuck Bednarik Award winner (Ndamukong Suh) and one Rimington Trophy winner (Dominic Raiola).

 

Nebraska Retired Jerseys/Numbers

[NU#1]

On the North end-zone, Brown and Novak's numbers are in red because they are the only ones that have died.

[huskerscott]

Johnny's son Terry attended UNL and Johnny allowed his number to be "unretired" so Terry could wear it. #20 went back into circulation for a while, but as of June, 2010, it has again been taken out of circulation. I don't know why Johnny's number isn't in red on the North Stadium. Maybe they're going to change that soon.

 

Here's the blurb from Huskers.com about retired jerseys/numbers:

 

Following the 1949 season, the N Club voted to retire jersey No. 60 in honor of Tom "Train Wreck" Novak's stellar career with the Cornhuskers. Novak, the first Nebraska player to earn this honor, had been a four-time All-Big Seven choice and a 1949 All-American.

 

Novak was the only NU player to have the distinction of a retired number, until Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers earned the distinction. Rodgers allowed his number to return to circulation when his son, Terry, joined the Huskers, but it has since returning to permanently retired status.

 

In 2004, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Brown's No. 64 joined Novak's hallowed No. 60 and Rodgers' No. 20, among the permanently retired numbers at Nebraska. Brown, whose jersey retirement ceremony occurred during NU's game with Colorado in 2004, became the 16th player in Husker history to have his jersey retired.

 

All-American Ndamukong Suh - one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history - joined Nebraska's list of retired jerseys in 2009. Suh won the Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik award in 2009, while becoming the first defensive player in history to win the Associated Press National Player-of-the-Year award.

 

All major national award winners at Nebraska automatically have their jerseys retired, but their numbers will still be available to active Huskers.

 

Nebraska's group of 17 players with retired jerseys certainly ranks among the best in the nation. Huskers who have earned the distinction of jersey retirement include three Heisman Trophy winners (Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch), eight Outland Trophy winners with nine awards (Larry Jacobson, Rich Glover, Dave Rimington (2), Dean Steinkuhler, Will Shields, Ndamukong Suh, Zach Wiegert, Aaron Taylor), five Lombardi Award winners (Rich Glover, Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler, Ndamukong Suh, Grant Wistrom), one Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner (Tommie Frazier), one Davey O'Brien Award winner (Eric Crouch), one Butkus Award winner (Trev Alberts), one Bronko Nagurksi Award winner (Ndamukong Suh), one Chuck Bednarik Award winner (Ndamukong Suh) and one Rimington Trophy winner (Dominic Raiola).

 

Nebraska Retired Jerseys/Numbers

good find Knapplc.... didnt know they retired Rodgers number in 2010, interseting stuff.

[druski_2k5]

Ah yeah I came across that article as well. Thanks for the info guys, sounds like Rodgers number just keeps coming and going, but good info none the less, thanks.

 

I guess the Red numbers would make since, since Brown and Novak are no longer alive, but I didn't know that was the intention, if it is. I thought it was purely retired numbers in red and the rest that were in black were just retired jerseys.

[powrofRED]

On the North end-zone, Brown and Novak's numbers are in red because they are the only ones that have died.

 

Uh, Bob Brown is still alive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Brown_(offensive_lineman)

[druski_2k5]

On the North end-zone, Brown and Novak's numbers are in red because they are the only ones that have died.

 

Uh, Bob Brown is still alive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Brown_(offensive_lineman)

 

:facepalm:

 

I didn't think that sounded right, but I didn't do my research like I should have. So I will just face-palm myself for thinking that and not looking it up.

 

Again.

 

[Touchdown Tommie]

I am guessing Suh's number will be retired...he did so much for the program and will continue to have a stellar career in the NFL.

[mnhusker]

Learn more here on accident than elsewhere by design.

[HeyBurke]

@Touchdown Tommie

 

I'm pretty sure the school no longee retires numbers, just jerseys.

[HuskersGJ]

Now I know Billy C basically stomped all over tradition, and may not have cared that Lucky was wearing a permanently retired jersey, which would not surprise me, but I was wondering if that was the real reason Lucky was able to wear #20 or not?

 

Actually TO hated Husker tradition. That's why Michael Booker wore #20 in the '90s. Solich and Pelini, too with Josh Bullocks.

 

C'mon folks i know Callahan=the devil for a lot of fans but deliberately un-retiring numbers?

 

I'm pretty sure the school no longee retires numbers, just jerseys.

don't know. Boomer Brown's number was only retired in 2004, not all that long ago. It was the same year he went into the NFL Hall of fame and that had a lot to do with it. maybe if that is some kind of standard, Will Shields would be a consideration soon.

 

Certainly there are guys that would be deserving of the honor (Frazier?, Suh?, Rimmington?, even Berringer?) but once you start down that path, where do you stop? there are only so many numbers.

 

BTW, I still think Berringer's number should be given to special players, kind of like #12 for A&M. It seemed like 18 was used like that for a few years after '96.

[BornRedCornFed]

I think it's just retired jersey vs retired numbers. Very few retired numbers, but a lot of retired jerseys. The same name may have to do with why the jersey was temporarily unretired.

 

 

yeah zoogie's right. as long as the jerseys are different, numbers of retired players are allowed to be recycled. retired numbers are a whole different thing