SU Ready to Hang #44 in the Rafters

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The three individuals who made the #44 famous will be honored at halftime of the Syracuse University football game against South Florida on Saturday, November 12. Jim Brown and Floyd Little, along with Ernie Davis’ mother, Marie Fleming, will join other former #44s, including Rob Konard, Michael Owens, Bill Schoonover and Tom Stephens, as the University officially retires one of the most storied numbers ever associated with a college football program. Since 1954, 11 players have worn the number and three earned All-America honors. Those three — Brown, Davis and Little — certainly rank among the finest running backs to ever play the game. Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross will lead the ceremony. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

“If there was ever a number that needed to be retired it is 44,” Gross said in announcing the decision to honor those who have worn it. “If you can’t take 44 off the table, then you’re just never going to retire a jersey. We are tying the old with the new, tying the greats of the past with the Greg Robinson era. It's a perfect year for it.”

Brown, who played at SU from 1954-56 and led the team to a Cotton Bowl berth, went on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and a member of the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame. He led the league in rushing eight times in his nine years. Many still point to him as the greatest running back of all time. Among Brown’s accomplishments at Syracuse was setting an NCAA single-game record of 43 points against Colgate in a 61-6 SU win.

“I think it probably should be (retired),” said former #44 and SU great Jim Brown. “I think it’s very difficult to try to pick an individual prematurely that’s going to be able to fulfill the shoes of 44.”

Davis played for the Orange from 1959-61. He won the 1961 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first African-American to do so, and was a starter on SU’s 1959 national championship team. Davis also signed to play with the Cleveland Browns, but the devastating combination of Davis and Brown in the same backfield never came to pass. Davis died of leukemia in 1963. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Little was a three-time All-America selection for the Orange. Little played for SU from 1964-66 and led the team to the Sugar Bowl in 1964 and the Gator Bowl in 1966 (teaming in the backfield with Larry Csonka in the latter). Little was the greatest kick returner in Orange history.

In addition to breaking the records of Brown and Davis, he led the nation in all-purpose yardage in 1965, averaging 199 yards per game. Little went on to have a tremendous career with the Denver Broncos, winning back-to-back rushing titles in 1970-71. He, too, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

How much does number 44 mean to Syracuse University and the surrounding community? For starters, the university zip code was changed a few years ago from 13210 to 13244. And in 1988, when the university changed phone systems, the exchange was changed from 423 to 443. One of the student hangouts in the Marshall Street area was named simply “44s”. Number 44 not only has come to represent greatness on the football field, it has become a part of the university’s and the community’s identity.

“During the last 10 months I have learned so much more about the people who have worn #44 here,” Robinson said. “I have watched highlights and interviews and spoken with people who have shared stories. I am so proud to be part of retiring this number. It is something that America should recognize. I don’t know of any other number that has been worn by such impressive individuals and had so much history to go with it. Show me another football team -- college or professional -- that has a number with such tradition and history as the #44 at Syracuse University. I am honored that I have the good fortune to be part of this. It is very special and will be meaningful to a lot of people."

Others have worn the legendary 44 with varying degrees of success. Tom Stephens wore it between Brown and Davis and was a member of SU’s 1958 Orange Bowl team. Bill Schoonover had an injury-plagued career bridging the gap between Davis and Little. Quarterback Rich Panczyszyn followed Little, but he too suffered a series of injuries.

After that, the number 44 remained on the shelf until 1976, when a highly touted local recruit from North Syracuse named Mandel Robinson was issued the jersey. Robinson spent just one season with the Orange before transferring to Wyoming. In 1980, Glenn Moore became the next in line. Moore had his moments of glory, including a 192-yard effort against West Virginia, but he spent most of his career backing up the likes of Joe Morris and Jaime Covington.

One of the most recent number 44s was also amongst the most successful as a collegian. Michael Owens had to wait until his senior year to get a shot as a full-time back. Owens, who split time with Robert Drummond as a sophomore and junior, gained 1,018 yards in 1989 to become just the fourth Orange back to top the 1,000-yard mark. The groundwork for Owens’ sensational final season had been set as a sophomore. He set an all-time Orange record for all-purpose yards per attempt and, in perhaps the most dramatic moment in SU football history, scored the two-point conversion to beat West Virginia and clinch the Orange’s unbeaten 1987 season.

The coaching staff awarded Rob Konrad the honor of wearing 44 in 1995 and the Massachusetts native did not disappoint. The first-ever fullback, and last Syracuse football student-athlete to don the special jersey, Konrad had many outstanding performances in his four seasons at Syracuse and was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

Syracuse Football Student-Athletes Who Have Worn #44

Player Position Year Wore #44

Gifford Zimmerman HB 1921

Charles Roberts HB 1924

Clarence Taylor QB 1925

Don Baldwin WR 1926

Richard Fishel HB 1932

Henry Merz QB 1933

Hamilton Watt WR 1934

Francis Mullins HB 1935-36

Stanley Stanislay WR 1937

Benjamin DeYoung WR 1938