Author Topic: jersey numbers (Read 4123 times)

JimR · « **on:** September 25, 2009, 02:34:55 pm »

in keeping with the great helmet project post:

there was a fun article in the Austin paper today about local football types and the significance, if any, of the numbers they wore. how about y'all, boys and girls? why did you wear the number you wore? did it have any significance to you?

i'll start. my first Austin High varsity baseball number was #6. i had a very good sophomore year and summer, and i decided that 6 was my lucky number. i did not get to wear it at UT, but i wore it throughout HS and every year i coached.

when i made the varsity football team as a junior (barely made it thanks to a good performance in our spring game), the coaches gave me #25. i hated it b/c i did not think it was a QB number. then i found out that Mike Cotten (HS All American on AHS' greatest team and star QB at UT) wore #25 when he played QB at AHS. i decided that #25 worked for me just fine.

HudsonHawk · « **Reply #1 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:37:25 pm »

I wore #14 in HS. No significant reason, that's just the number they gave me as a sophomore. In Denial League, I've almost always worn #27, Carlton "The REAL Pudge" Fisk's number back in the day.

Andyzipp · « **Reply #2 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:39:35 pm »

I've always been partial to "14", but I've worn a host of different numbers over the years. When I get a choice now, I usually try to get "5".

JimR · « **Reply #3 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:40:19 pm »

Quote from: Andyzipp on September 25, 2009, 02:39:35 pm

I've always been partial to "14", but I've worn a host of different numbers over the years. When I get a choice now, I usually try to get "5".

why for both numbers? Bagwell for 5?

austro · « **Reply #4 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:42:24 pm »

When I played basketball in junior high and high school, I always wore #24, because that was the number that Spencer Haywood wore for the Denver Rockets (we lived in Denver during my junior high years). After that I wound up playing with somebody else who already had #24, so I switched to #14, which used until I finally retired from the denial leagues a few years ago.

sporadic · « **Reply #5 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:42:57 pm »

12, just like Roger

Ron Brand · « **Reply #6 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:47:15 pm »

My girlfriend in HS was #33 in basketball, so I tried to get that when I could. Being a tackle/linebacker meant I got it for baseball only. I never cared what FB number I had.
Before that, one year in baseball all-stars they gave us a third number to add so I was 012.

Andyzipp · « **Reply #7 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:47:31 pm »

Quote from: JimR on September 25, 2009, 02:40:19 pm

why for both numbers? Bagwell for 5?

Honestly? Pete Rose for 14. Bagwell now for 5.

JimR · « **Reply #8 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:52:14 pm »

Quote from: Andyzipp on September 25, 2009, 02:47:31 pm

Honestly? Pete Rose for 14. Bagwell now for 5.

of course. that was a point of the article: often young players choose numbers of those they admire.

hostros7 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:54:18 pm »

I've worn a ton of different numbers from all the various teams I played on in baseball and basketball. When given preference, I chose 19 in baseball, which I believe isn't (wasn't) technically a valid number for official HS basketball (could wear it in AAU and other leagues though), so I generally went with 13 for that. I'm not sure why I really liked 19, but it was a number that generally you don't seem to see all that much. I guess I wanted to avoid being the guy who you can see out on the field or the court that you can tell is just kind of a semenswiller just by looking at him. Examples from my generation of athletes: #23 in basketball (especially if accompanied by Jordan shoes) and white cleats in soccer.

Now I prefer a single digit number. Really any of them will do other than 8. FrapeEraKobe, regardless of sport.

Ty in Tampa · « **Reply #10 on:** September 25, 2009, 02:59:42 pm »

Quote from: JimR on September 25, 2009, 02:52:14 pm

of course. that was a point of the article: often young players choose numbers of those they admire.

I only wore a number for beer league softball and incarceration (just kidding) but I chose 34 because of Nolan and Earl with the Oilers.

subnuclear · « **Reply #11 on:** September 25, 2009, 03:03:49 pm »

The number "2" is my lucky number, so I always tried to get that. I think it was because I used play 2nd base in LL.

Duman · « **Reply #12 on:** September 25, 2009, 03:18:31 pm »

Playing youth soccer I was lucky enough to get 10. All the best players in the league wore 10 because of Pele.

In inter mural basketball in college I always chose 00. It matched my scoring average.

My son wears 10 whenever possible in all sports but it started in Baseball for Chipper Jones. When he can't get it, he likes 7. His mom's favorite #.

Bench · « **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2009, 03:27:11 pm »

I've always liked the number 4 best and always try to get it when I can. If I'm at the track, I'll usually bet on the 4 horse. I'm biasedly partial to ball players that wear number 4. I have no idea why, but 4 has always been my lucky number. Probably because I was big Ric Flair - Tully Blanchard fan when I was a kid.

If I can't get 4, I try to get 7 because of Biggio (who incidentally was 4 when he first came up).

GreatBagwellsBeard · « **Reply #14 on:** September 25, 2009, 03:45:46 pm »

In my baseball days, I got handed 8 back in t-ball, and subsequently requested it thereafter. There was one year that I ended up with something bizarre like 47, because some parent thought it would be funny if we all had really big numbers. Wanker.

I played more basketball than anything else as I got older, and 15 was my number, as it looked really good when you were sitting down on the bench. My younger brother took my number after I graduated, and then demonstrated that it looks even better when you're actually running up and down the court.

strosrays · « **Reply #15 on:** September 25, 2009, 06:08:59 pm »

I couldn't participate in the helmet thing, because my HS was long ago consolidated with another one and lost its identity (and its mascot.) So, thanks for this.

In football, I was always 22 (RB-OLB) and in baseball, 11. I am sure it was a random assignment first time around, but I decided I liked both and the fact my baseball number was half my football number, and so after that I actively tried to get those numbers, and I always did, up through high school.

My city league softball number was 19, which was the sum of the digits in Keith Richard's birthday (12/18/43) added together. I'm not into numerology, but I always felt like that number gave me an edge.

Mr. Happy · « **Reply #16 on:** September 25, 2009, 06:50:21 pm »

23 in basketball and baseball. No particular reason. I think that it was first given to me as a freshman, and I was so glad to get one I said that was it. It's funny, Coach, that you were partial to 6, because I always have been too. I just never wore it.

Col. Sphinx Drummond · « **Reply #17 on:** September 25, 2009, 07:42:24 pm »

1968 Fondren Jr. High 7th grade basketball, I wanted 44 because it "The Big E" wore that number at UH. I was given 11, which worked out because that was Elvin Hayes' number in the pros. I wore 11 every year through high school.

Taras Bulba · « **Reply #18 on:** September 26, 2009, 10:47:56 pm »

19. They gave that to me and told me to shut up and play.

chuck · « **Reply #19 on:** September 26, 2009, 11:20:10 pm »

14 because I liked it.

MRaup · « **Reply #20 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:26:07 am »

I wore 52 when I was a freshman in football because 1.) 7 was my lucky number (and 5+2=7), and my hero of heroes, Ronnie Wooten, wore 52 on the varisty. When all of the JV players were put on the varisty roster my soph. year, 52 was still taken by Ronnie, so I had to switch to 61. I kind of liked the way 61 looked and I had a good year, so I stuck with that. So, it made sense in baseball to stick with what worked, so I wore 16 on the baseball field the rest of my career. Pretty much every number I wore once I started caring added up to 7, but I never wore 7 itself.

Duke · « **Reply #21 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:04:31 am »

5 is my lucky number. I was born in May, oldest of 5 kids, it goes on. I wore 5 in baseball, 23 in basketball and 32 in football. Also, 32 was Jim Brown's number and I loved the way he ran the ball. I wanted to run the ball like Jim Brown and play linebacker like Willy Lanier.

strosrays · « **Reply #22 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:30:34 am »

Quote from: Duke on September 28, 2009, 10:04:31 am

I wanted to. . . play linebacker like Willy Lanier.

Or Mike Curtis, remember him? I believe he was the guy -- one time during a game a fan ran out onto the field, apparently with no real purpose, just running around out there during a time out, trying to get on TV or something. When he ran past the Baltimore huddle, Curtis clothes-lined him. Just took him out.

austro · « **Reply #23 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:56:04 am »

Quote from: strosrays on September 28, 2009, 10:30:34 am

Or Mike Curtis, remember him? I believe he was the guy -- one time during a game a fan ran out onto the field, apparently with no real purpose, just running around out there during a time out, trying to get on TV or something. When he ran past the Baltimore huddle, Curtis clothes-lined him. Just took him out.

Yup, that was Curtis. That was fantastic.

Taras Bulba · « **Reply #24 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:57:27 am »

Quote from: strosrays on September 28, 2009, 10:30:34 am

Or Mike Curtis, remember him? I believe he was the guy -- one time during a game a fan ran out onto the field, apparently with no real purpose, just running around out there during a time out, trying to get on TV or something. When he ran past the Baltimore huddle, Curtis clothes-lined him. Just took him out.

I think the guy flew about ten yards in the air. If Curtis did that today, he'd get arrested. Then, everyone at the game and everyone watching on TV cheered wildly.

Duke · « **Reply #25 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:57:36 am »

Quote from: strosrays on September 28, 2009, 10:30:34 am

Or Mike Curtis, remember him? I believe he was the guy -- one time during a game a fan ran out onto the field, apparently with no real purpose, just running around out there during a time out, trying to get on TV or something. When he ran past the Baltimore huddle, Curtis clothes-lined him. Just took him out.

Curtis was a tough SOB to be sure.

Craig · « **Reply #26 on:** September 28, 2009, 11:18:05 am »

Quote from: strosrays on September 28, 2009, 10:30:34 am

Or Mike Curtis, remember him? I believe he was the guy -- one time during a game a fan ran out onto the field, apparently with no real purpose, just running around out there during a time out, trying to get on TV or something. When he ran past the Baltimore huddle, Curtis clothes-lined him. Just took him out.

Is this it?

Mr. Happy · « **Reply #27 on:** September 28, 2009, 01:19:38 pm »

Mike Curtis was a throwback and an ironman. I loved his tough play.