Another Should 44 be used as a recruiting tool thread.

[Lynch1967]

44 should be sacred and never given out again. You have three phenoms who used that number and it’s retired.

 

[721Comstock]

44 should be sacred and never given out again. You have three phenoms who used that number and it’s retired.

And a bunch of decent RB's, and quite a few unremarkable ones too.

It was pretty much dumb luck that we had 3 guys in a row who were HOF-level RB's.
It's also now ancient history.
And will mean as much to recruits and fans as all of Rutgers' championships if we let it continue to fade into obscurity.

 

[Finwad32]

No reason not to use it.

 

[TheCusian]

I didn’t mean to spark a debate about “should it be used in recruiting” - I just want to see a player good enough to wear it in the Dome.

 

[bnoro]

I'd love to see a player wear 44 again. However, I don't think there's a player that would rather wear 44 than the number they wore all through high school.

 

[Finwad32]

I'd love to see a player wear 44 again. However, I don't think there's a player that would rather wear 44 than the number they wore all through high school.

Although I'd agree that they're not popular digits for the current youth... It's a situational thing. If a kid grew up loving the Express who's now legit, it fits... Maybe some kids get sold on it after hearing the story and being introduced, who knows?

But, if it ever does help, you use it. I think it's more of a disservice to let it sit. And, I'd be willing to bet the vast majority of former users would agree

 

[Ish88888]

Because it probably means nothing to him?

AMEN, 44 means nothing to these kids. The thought is dumb and what kind of message does it send to the other kids to have one ordained kid wearing the #??? OMG, its an awrful idea. Has purdue offered Brees' or Greisies # in desperation over the years? NO.

 

[PAcuse]

We are getting to the point of it being retired for to long and like most of said already it means nothing to the kids. Some might have seen the Express or watch it after getting a Syracuse offer, but I doubt we could use it as a tool anymore.
Only way I think we could bring it back would be to let kid who is already in the system and has earned it wear, like Dungey next year.

 

[OrangeAl]

If it helps us recruit the next Dave Jacobs then I'm all for it.
Sorry for the thread confusion.

 

[qdawgg]

AMEN, 44 means nothing to these kids. The thought is dumb and what kind of message does it send to the other kids to have one ordained kid wearing the #??? OMG, its an awrful idea. Has purdue offered Brees' or Greisies # in desperation over the years? NO.

So every H.S. kid feels exactly the same way?

Isn't it dumb to devalue some players ability to have some appreciation of the number and its history?

If its a bad message to send to the other players, the number should have never existed in the first place.

Who cares what Purdue does or doesn't do. If you're going to be a brand you do what you think makes the most sense for your brand.

 

[CuseOnly]

That doesn't change how old it is to a 17 year old. That's the key.

Ernie Davis is the CFB equivalent of Jackie Robinson in MLB.

That will always be relevant to everyone and more so to young potential CFB athletes.

How old is Jackie Robinson to those same kids?

 

[Domedog84]

Ernie Davis is the CFB equivalent of Jackie Robinson in MLB.

That will always be relevant to everyone and more so to young potential CFB athletes.

How old is Jackie Robinson to those same kids?

Ernie Davis was the first black player to win the Heisman, not the first black CF player. I just don't feel it is talked about as much as Jackie Robinson. We don't have an Ernie Davis day in CF that is recognized across the sport the way the MLB does for JR.

I know most of us were raised to know Jim Brown and Ernie Davis but I agree with a poster who stated earlier in the thread that felt we let the 44 thing slide for too long and it has dropped out of the minds of current HS football players.

It doesn't mean we couldn't revive it, or shouldn't, but I think currently, a kid in Washington DC, probably doesn't think of 44, or amazing running back tradition when he hears Syracuse.

 

[DeGrozz]

I thought we were giving it to Robert Washington?

 

[RandomGuy]

I'd love to see a player wear 44 again. However, I don't think there's a player that would rather wear 44 than the number they wore all through high school.

100x this. Tell a kid he gets to keep the # he's had on his back for 6 years, and watch him smile. Some kids identify with their #, and want to make that great, on their own. "Ohh. You want me to wear some other guys #?" Maybe it works for a few kids, but I don't think it's as much of a recruiting tool, as some.

Sometimes, I look at 44, and think, ohh, back when we were good...I'm more than happy with a kid making his own # famous. ;-)

 

[SUFaninNJ]

AMEN, 44 means nothing to these kids. The thought is dumb and what kind of message does it send to the other kids to have one ordained kid wearing the #??? OMG, its an awrful idea. Has purdue offered Brees' or Greisies # in desperation over the years? NO.

Yeah, I'm sure Ger Schwedes was chaffed that Ernie got to wear 44 while he was relegated to wearing 16. What kind of message was Ben sending to the team? It really derailed that whole 1959 season.

 

[UnknownOrange]

The mishandling of the #44 is incredible. Look at Lax with #22 - no issues over there. Jordan Evans was given the # as a freshman and he underwhelmed to the hype of the number but was still a nice player.

The school has truly OVER hyped the number IMO. Why not just let the number continue? Retiring the # is like admitting you'll never have someone worthy of the number again. That's a defeatist mentality. The school allowed the number to be treated like it was untouchable, but then Pete Sala unretired it... but wait nevermind forget all about that.

I don't think we ever see 44 used again because of how terribly it's been handled. It's not a jersey number anymore. It's the start to all phones at SU, the schools zip code (13244), and it's a number that only GODS @ SU WORE (shh don't tell anyone that anyone other than Brown, Davis, & Little wore it).

Such a joke.

Let the coaching staff decide on that number and get over yourselves (University). It can be used in the recruiting game and it should be. For every Jim Brown there are 100s of Mandel Robinsons. Who cares. Whatever is done on the field (or even off it for that matter) by the next #44 doesn't take away a single thing that anyones done before it in that uniform number

 

[tep624]

It's silly suggesting all 17 - 18 year olds are all going to react to the same thing in the same way. That goes for both viewpoints on the impact of "44", impact of the dome, impact of playing for Babers, the weather, being close/not close to home, etc.

Babers isn't the first coach to have a big recruit show some respect and come for a visit despite being committed to a different big program. The only way any of this will mean much is if he actually flips and signs with SU. Otherwise he's just one of many others since Marrone who've done the same thing.

Whether this happens or not, this is still turning out to be an amazing recruiting class.

Agreed. It's as dumb to say every kid would drool over it as it is to say that every kid wouldn't care about it. We've had kids OV that were pumped to be able to hold Ernie's Heisman specifically because they saw the movie the Express and there have been other kids that still have no idea who he is.

 

[tep624]

The mishandling of the #44 is incredible. Look at Lax with #22 - no issues over there. Jordan Evans was given the # as a freshman and he underwhelmed to the hype of the number but was still a nice player.

The school has truly OVER hyped the number IMO. Why not just let the number continue? Retiring the # is like admitting you'll never have someone worthy of the number again. That's a defeatist mentality. The school allowed the number to be treated like it was untouchable, but then Pete Sala unretired it... but wait nevermind forget all about that.

I don't think we ever see 44 used again because of how terribly it's been handled. It's not a jersey number anymore. It's the start to all phones at SU, the schools zip code (13244), and it's a number that only GODS @ SU WORE (shh don't tell anyone that anyone other than Brown, Davis, & Little wore it).

Such a joke.

Let the coaching staff decide on that number and get over yourselves (University). It can be used in the recruiting game and it should be. For every Jim Brown there are 100s of Mandel Robinsons. Who cares. Whatever is done on the field (or even off it for that matter) by the next #44 doesn't take away a single thing that anyones done before it in that uniform number

We never should have changed the original tradition. It was dumb at the time and it's still dumb. The tradition was that you're going to get a Mandel Robinson here or there - that was always the risk, but at least it was A tradition! What we have now is something gathering dust that with every passing year even becomes less relevant for the people that actually follow this program. It was a stupid marketing ploy, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[SUbear]

I thought we were giving it to Robert Washington?

The fact he never came here aside, he has turned out to be a mediocre player and probably a head case. We dodged a bullet on that one.

 

[cuse62]

When LSU visited a few years ago, didn't Fournette learn about our 44 history; and actually like meeting Mr Little. We are not good enough to let something that might help us, maybe not with every player; but if it helps with one isn't worth it?

 

[sufandu]

I like the idea of having it available. If there is a stud that the staff feels is deserving they can let the kid know it's available but he's free to wear whatever he wants. If a kid ever does wear it and lives up to it by being an AA, he will have legendary status beyond anything McNabb (setting aside the stupid private life) or Freeney could have ever had simply because of the connection to the past.

 

[tipphill]

if someone got selected to wear 44 it would only satisfy the fan base.
as people point out, it really means very little to kids, just to us.
we would be the only ones complaining if the kid wearing 44 did not live up to the standards of 44.

 

[sufandu]

if someone got selected to wear 44 it would only satisfy the fan base.
as people point out, it really means very little to kids, just to us.
we would be the only ones complaining if the kid wearing 44 did not live up to the standards of 44.

I think people have pointed out it means little to some, probably most. It may mean something to a few, and that's fine. It's also fine that it's meaningful to the fanbase. Fanbases build programs and traditions are a part of that. We have very few traditions. If it were ever possible, it would be nice to have one mean something.

 

[Ish88888]

Yeah, I'm sure Ger Schwedes was chaffed that Ernie got to wear 44 while he was relegated to wearing 16. What kind of message was Ben sending to the team? It really derailed that whole 1959 season.

Lol, are we really gonna compare the mindset of a player in 1959 to today's players? Comical.