What is the criteria to retire Gopher fball jerseys?

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El Amin Fan

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The basketball program loosened up its jersey retirement standards and have added 4 or so new banners to The Barn over the last few years. The Gopher football program has much more history than the basketball program, yet the basketball program has more jersey's retired than football.

I'm sure there are some worthy candidates from the national title teams, but more recently, two guys that I think are worth strong consideration are Tyrone Carter and Greg Eslinger. Eslinger for sure, often regarded as one of the best at his position in the country in his generation, and he cleared the way for some ridiculously gaudy rushing numbers and won the Outland Award. TC was the corner stone of the program turning itself around in the late 90s, he set NCAA tackling records and won the Jim Thorpe Award.
 

El Amin Fan said:
The basketball program loosened up its jersey retirement standards and have added 4 or so new banners to The Barn over the last few years. The Gopher football program has much more history than the basketball program, yet the basketball program has more jersey's retired than football.

I'm sure there are some worthy candidates from the national title teams, but more recently, two guys that I think are worth strong consideration are Tyrone Carter and Greg Eslinger. Eslinger for sure, often regarded as one of the best at his position in the country in his generation, and he cleared the way for some ridiculously gaudy rushing numbers and won the Outland Award. TC was the corner stone of the program turning itself around in the late 90s, he set NCAA tackling records and won the Jim Thorpe Award.
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The strange thing about football retired jerseys, at least at the U, is that even after a number is retired it still gets issued. For example, right now Rhoda is wearing Stephens retired #15 and Lauer is wearing Bell's #78.

In terms of more modern era guys that would be worthy of joining the small amount of guys that have had their Jersey retired, TC and Eslinger would definitely seem worthy. I think retiring jerseys in college football gets tough because you need all the numbers for the sheer volume of players on the roster.
 

MNVCGUY said:
The strange thing about football retired jerseys, at least at the U, is that even after a number is retired it still gets issued. For example, right now Rhoda is wearing Stephens retired #15 and Lauer is wearing Bell's #78.

In terms of more modern era guys that would be worthy of joining the small amount of guys that have had their Jersey retired, TC and Eslinger would definitely seem worthy. I think retiring jerseys in college football gets tough because you need all the numbers for the sheer volume of players on the roster.
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Very few schools retire numbers, they retire jerseys, which is what we do. Small nuance, but its the reason why Stephens' number is in circulation.

Go Gophers!!
 

With the number of players on the team I don't think you can really afford to start retiring numbers, need all of 'em for players. All in favor of a ring of honor type thing like we have going at the stadium with the great players listed on the upper deck fascia.
 

I am in full agreement with having a ring of all-time greats, with their numbers. What I don't like is "retiring numbers" so they can't be used again. Kids sometimes make final recruiting decisions based on weird things like "is my HS number available?" - I'm glad the Gophers retire "jerseys" and not "numbers" if that is the case in the way it was described above.

For me, the next player that deserves to be up on the stadium wall with a retired jersey is Leo Nomellini. I have never been able to figure out why he isn't up there already.
 


Carter was 2 time All-American and Thorph Award winner, he is very deserving. Same goes for Eslinger.
 

Kuato Lives! said:
Carter was 2 time All-American and Thorph Award winner, he is very deserving. Same goes for Eslinger.
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Nomellini and Tom Brown should have been up there 30 years ago. It is ridiculous how players of their caliber have not been recognized yet.
 


Whatever we do, let's just never let a QB wear number 98 (e.g. Devin Gardner)
 



That was the most annoying situation ever. I thought the number was supposed to rotate so leaders got to wear it in honor of a great. Then Gardner wears it for 2 years straight. And he wasn't even that good.
 

I think that retiring jerseys is wiser than retiring numbers. If great players are to be remembered let the fans see that number on a players back to trigger the memory.
 





Nomellini and Brown should have there numbers on that ring in the stadium.

GoGophers2005 said:
Nomellini and Tom Brown should have been up there 30 years ago. It is ridiculous how players of their caliber have not been recognized yet.
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Goes without saying what type of caliber players that Leo Nomelini and Tom Brown were.
I don't agree that Eslinger and Carters numbers should be up in that ring yet.

Too recent to have Carter and Esslingers numbers up there on the stadium ring yet, but as significant award winners in College football there likeness and numbers should hold significant honor for the players that are awarded the right to wear those Jersey numbers. I would be in agreement that numbers #61 and #22 should be awarded by the coaches as an honor thing to players that have earned the right to wear those numbers, a passing of a torch of higher expectations for that level of player, if you will, on both offense and defense.
They may merrit that thing happening but that will up to the Athletic department, and the U to determine that.
 

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