If Pitt had it to do all over again, would you replace Jersey numbers with statues or busts?
It would be nice to have some hardware on permanent display at Heinz.
It would be nice to have some hardware on permanent display at Heinz.
Unretire numbers
- Thread starter steelcurtain55.
- Start date
Why unretire the numbers. Just put up a display of the busts. Good idea. Glad I thought of it.
The Kardashian Steelers would never allow such a thing. Especially a current Ram.
I am not a fan of retiring numbers for college sports. I like the statue or bust idea. It would be cool if those were outside the stadium or on the way in. Have the current players walk past them coming off the bus and on the way to the locker room, maybe rub their heads for good luck or something.
I wouldn't mind seeing more of the busts of our lady athletes
the Steelers are the more important football team by far, it's not even close.
When you watch the game, just hold your index finger vertical in front of the 8 on Pickett's jersey. That way it will look like he is wearing #18, while whoever is on defense will still look like they are #8 - a completely different uniform number. Then you can finally be free from this terrible injustice and watch the game in peace.
No there isn't. With walk ons there are well over 100 players.
Kids have favorite numbers: The number they wore in HS; the number their favorite NFL player wears; etc. This way, they can give more kids their favorite number.
Displayed in the Great Hall among the same pillars holding the Steelers' SB tropies for about 5 years now... "
Jerseys should only be honored-
Not retired.
Unless they do something remarkable like be a consensus first team all American and win a national title .
Not retired.
Unless they do something remarkable like be a consensus first team all American and win a national title .
Why go positive numbers? How about we use negative integers on Jerseys? Like walk-ons get numbers below 0... I’m half joking. I’m outraged by this triviality, outraged I tell you...
I have no issue retiring numbers though I'm not a fan of it. Pitt is getting out of control with it because it needs ways to create a buzz since winning isn't prioritized by the university leaders. May, Covert, Ditka, Goldberg and Larry's numbers should be in circulation.
I read yesterday that Aaron's should be retired in week 1 versus Virginia, which would be a terrible idea. Give it some years so some kids who love A.D. can don the number.
I read yesterday that Aaron's should be retired in week 1 versus Virginia, which would be a terrible idea. Give it some years so some kids who love A.D. can don the number.
Unretire the numbers and do a ring of honor like the Cowboys. Then you could pass out the elite numbers to the top players.
That's what I'd do. The best receiver on the team can wear number 1 if he wants, otherwise no one wears it that year. The best running back on the team can wear 33 if he wants, otherwise no one wears it. The best offensive tackle on the team can wear 79 if he wants, otherwise no one wears it. In some years when we don't have a player that the coaches think is good enough at those positions then no one wears the numbers.
Make wearing those jersey numbers an honor that our players aspire to. Honor the original wearers with a ring of honor or a hall of fame or whatever you want to call it.
Great idea and I would take it one step further.
Have a team "ceremony".....maybe...if the retiree can come back for the event. I know that's difficult but not impossible.
And....just by coincidence...set up the ceremony the same weekend a highly touted recruit is visiting .
It doesn't bother me "so much", but if it was me, I'd want a unique number, there are actually 101 unique numbers if you use 0 and 00, so do more than that dress every game? So why have so many duplicates.
I don't know what they do now (I'd assume it's still the same) but Pitt kept lockers for the players who had numbers retired. They were encased in glass and were treated like shrines. As a recruit, you were paraded around the locker room and reminded how many greats played for the program. It was one of the cooler things about Pitt that I don't remember other programs having.
I agree with this. I am fine with the eventual retiring of numbers. I'd suggest no sooner than when the player himself retires / is done from the NFL, and maybe a little beyond that as well. As you mention, during playing days and immediately thereafter, players will be well known by young players (ideally including coveted recruits) who know and possibly idolize these guys, and might be swayed to go to Pitt if they know they can wear 97, or 25, or 1, etc.
And they should remember to bring a check with them.
But this does bring up an idea.
PITT fans who admired the player could attend the ceremony/ event, get pictures, spend some time with the honored player for a specified donation to PITT football.
Example: So lets say you're an Aaron Donald fan, have some spare change, you could register to attend his ceremony/event for let's say a minimum $ 2k donation. You get to take home some signed pictures of you and the player, an Aaron Donald signed PITT Jersey, you can tell your friends you're buddies with the player, and your donation is recognized somehow
"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!
Last edited:
I think that's it. Retire the name and number and have a ring of honor with the jersey's displayed with name and number. Reuse the numbers . Don't try to control the number by giving it to the "best" as that may be too hard to control.
Use number as a recruiting tool if the recruits favorite number is available. If that recruit turns out to be great, retire "Smith 97" to distinguish from "Donald 97". This should work except if Donald's nephew's jersey is retired, lol!
This comes up from time to time and I never really understand it?
I don’t think the retired numbers are a problem at all.
You have 99 numbers from which to choose and college football allows you to duplicate numbers, as long as the players are not on the field at the same time.
That doesn’t seem like an overly difficult bar to meet.
I think we could retire 10 more numbers if we wanted and we would be just fine. Not that I would want to do that, but we certainly could do it if we wanted.
I don’t think the retired numbers are a problem at all.
You have 99 numbers from which to choose and college football allows you to duplicate numbers, as long as the players are not on the field at the same time.
That doesn’t seem like an overly difficult bar to meet.
I think we could retire 10 more numbers if we wanted and we would be just fine. Not that I would want to do that, but we certainly could do it if we wanted.
Certain players have had the same numbers all of their playing career.. only matters if on the same side of the ball.
Say Trevor Lawerence wanted to come here out of hs. Say he's crossed all the t's and dotted all the I's with the measurebles and intangibles with the coaching staff. But, he makes it clear he wants to wear #13. There are several other big time recruits who are waiting to see where Lawerence goes, because they want to play with him.
What do you do?
How do you think marino responds?
I give Trevor Lawrence number 13, and I'm pretty sure Marino would be happy the number one QB in the country at Pitt.
Last edited:
I know, it still seems weird, and it feels like a fairly current thing, not typical before the last few years.
13-1
13.1
131
Would be a recycled retired old, new number.
They probably don't allow dashes, dots or triple digits.
13.1
131
Would be a recycled retired old, new number.
They probably don't allow dashes, dots or triple digits.
