Perhaps the biggest news of the summer was just announced outside of the Ensley Athletic Center. Interim Athletic Director Pete Sala, along with Floyd Little, former Athletic Director Daryl Gross, head coach Scott Shafer and many others just announced that Syracuse University would be un-retiring the number 44.
The number was officially retired when Gross took over as Athletic Director in November of 2005. Fullback Rob Konrad was the last player to wear 44 for SU back in 1998. According to Sala, the athletic department had the permissions of the Syracuse legends to restore the number and bring it back onto the field.
During the press conference, Shafer and Little emphasized the culture of 44 within the program. Shafer believed it was one of the best symbols in college football, even in all of sports. With Gross no longer heading the athletic programs, it was heavily speculated that this would happen.
In terms of recruiting, the number 44 could be used as a huge chip. For example, Syracuse fans pushed to “#Restore44” during the recruitment of Robert Washington, a four star running back out of North Carolina that verbally committed to SU a few weeks ago. Through interviews with the media, he said that it was a huge honor to be deemed worthy of the discussion.
While many worried about Washington eventually flipping his verbal commitment to another program down the road, giving him the number 44 may be an offer he can’t refuse – further solidifying his commitment. In addition, Washington will have the chance to implant his name in Syracuse running back lore if he puts together a successful career on the field.
It is still unclear how the number will be featured on the team, though. It could be reserved for outstanding upperclassmen, or it may be given to highly touted recruits, like Washington. The number may not be limited to running backs in the future, but for the time being, it looks like the Orange’s top recruit potentially has even heavier expectations now than he did just an hour ago.
Here at the Fizz, we have never fully agreed with hanging 44 up in the rafters, so, to see it come back to the sideline is a huge moment in program history. It is much more meaningful to honor Little, Jim Brown, and Ernie Davis on the field, rather than off the field. Leave the new Plaza 44 to that.
Posted By: Jason Weingold
9 responses to “Syracuse Does the Right Thing – 44: Restored!”
OMG OMG 44 RESTORED
THERE IS A GOD AND HIS NAME IS ROBERT WASHINGTON
GIVE HIM THE NUMBER WE(NOT ME BUT I WILL USE WE ANYWAY) WILL WIN ATLEAST TWO NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
44 IS WHATS HAS BEEN MISSING WE NOW HAVE GREAT PLAYERS AGAIN
OMG OMG
lol its just a number relax
Terry have you come back to the Fizz using the Tebow moniker?
How many points do you think 44 is worth?
put it back up there, games need to be won on the field not in the jersey numbers
I don’t know how many points the number 44 is worth, BUT I FEEL the number should never have been retired in the first place. Just too much tradition that goes with the number. If the “LIVING LEGEND”Jim Brown says it’s ok to unretire the number then who are we to argue?
For me I’m on the side that is glad to see the number get returned to the team for use. Will it bring another Heisman Trophy or National Championship to Syracuse? I’m one who will confess that I can’t tell you what the future will bring,so I guess my answer is I say because I don’t know.
I look at as much less dramatic as you. Three men are part of the legacy of 44 Brown, Davis and Little the rest of the guys just got to wear the jersey.
Jim Brown beat his wife so I don’t have any trouble with disagreeing with his opinion or the morality of his opinions(not to mention disagree with a lot of what he has said). I also don’t worship athletes so I would never refer to any athlete as a ‘living legend’. To me he is a retired football player who smacked around his wife.
I also understand that people are grasping at the past and having the number 44 around makes it easier to do that but I am only interested in syracuses future at this point and Jim Brown/Floyd Little’s past performances have nothing to do with that and putting that number on Robert Washington won’t make him a better player it will just make a bunch of old men excited which isn’t a big deal for me at all.
Also the inside info is that it was ‘unretired’ two years ago.
people were just confused by Sala’s statement.
I know there was a ‘restore 44’ thing which was hilarious since it was already restored two years ago.
you can’t trust people like jeff kelly and bees who have no inside info but really like to pretend like they do.
and another tidbit about the poser washington
he wants to still take his five official visits
the five visits(won’t end up taking all five) won’t look anything like his final six list he gave. That will also prove that his list is bs.
I really don’t know if Washington will come to Syracuse or not. National signing day is a long way off and anything can happen before then.. Robert Washington plans on taking visits to Syracuse,Alabama,Pittsburgh USC,and LSU. Here‚Äôs a kid from North Carolina that has a chance to visit LSU,Alabama and USC free you know like paid in full,not costing you a dime. If you were in his shoes you‚Äôd probably do the same thing and take the visits. If you tell us no you wouldn‚Äôt well then your more foolish than I expected.
For the most part, Washington’s top targets remain the ones he outlined after initially committing. Taken from the article on syr.com
lol no they don’t
his top six a month ago was
su
unc
tcu
michigan
Bama
Flordia
and a month later its
syracuse
pittsburg
alabama
usc
lsu
so 66% of his list…changed since giving his ‘solid’ verbal to Flordia….oh wait I mean syracuse. Poor Flordia ‘won’ and then was dropped in a day lol.
Like I told you Flordia told him no thanks
michigan told him no thanks
bama has said no thanks
you will see usc/lsu will follow suit soon.
The word is he will actually end up at a different school but they think he will transfer to syracuse after a redshirt season.