Ad Disclosure
There is No. 12 at Alabama, No. 34 at Auburn, No. 11 at Florida, No. 34 at Georgia, No. 20 at LSU, No. 18 at Ole Miss, No. 16 at Tennessee and, of course, No. 12 at Texas A&M.
Look at the list of retired numbers — or a decision not to — and there’s almost an inverse relationship to number of retired players and a winning tradition. Retiring jerseys is right up there next to putting a legendary player in a Hall of Fame or ring of honor. It validates a career and establishes a line of demarcation from a great player, to a program changer.
It also begs the question of when a number is moved into that special status, and who’s next?
Cam Newton at Auburn, Connor Shaw at South Carolina, Randall Cobb at Kentucky, or someone else?
The traditions to retire a number is as varied as each institution across the SEC.
Alabama chooses not to, while Florida retired them, then in the 1990s, unretired numbers, and like Kentucky, allows players to wear them. Ole Miss after 2006 retired Chucky Mullins’ No. 38 and named a courage award to recognize a defense senior. LSU gives a nod to No. 18 to honor a player’s behavior on and off the field. Texas A&M, with its No. 12, awards a special teams walk-on player each season, a nod to E. King Hill, who was called from the stands in 1922.
Here are significant numbers, and the people who wore them, across the SEC:
Alabama Crimson Tide
Retired
None
Revered
12:Joe Namath, Ken Stabler
22: Mark Ingram
37: Shaun Alexander
55:Derrick Thomas
Arkansas Razorbacks
Retired
12: Clyde Scott, Steve Little
77: Brandon Burlsworth
Auburn Tigers
Retired
7: Pat Sullivan
34: Bo Jackson
88: Terry Beasley
Florida Gators
Retired
None
Revered
7: Danny Wuerffel
11: Steve Spurrier
15: Tim Tebow
22: Emmitt Smith
Georgia Bulldogs
Retired
21: Frank Sinkwich
34: Herschel Walker
40: Theron Sapp
62: Charley Trippi
Kentucky Wildcats
Retired
2: Tim Couch, Ermal Allen
8: Clyde Johnson
10: Babe Parilli
11: Rick Norton
12: Derrick Ramsey
13: Bob Davis
16: George Blanda
19: Howard Schnellenberger
20: Charlie McClendon
21: Rodger Byrd, Calvin Byrd
22: Mark Higgs
24: Dicky Lyons
27: Wallace Jones
32: Larry Seiple
33: George Adams
40: Sonny Collins
44: Shipwreck Kelly
45: Jay Rhodemyre
48: Washington Serini
50: Harry Ulinski, Jim Kovach
51: Doug Moseley
52: Rick Nuzum
55: Irv Goode
59: Joe Federspiel
65: Ralph Kercheval
69: Warren Bryant
70: Herschel Turner, Bob Gain
73: Sam Ball
74: Dave Roller
79: Lou Michaels
80: Steve Meilinger, Rick Kestner, Tom Hutchinson
88: Jeff VanNote
97: Art Still
LSU Tigers
Retired
20: Billy Cannon
37: Tommy Casanova
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Retired
None
Revered
1: Eric Moulds
2: Walt Harris
99: Johnie Cooks
Missouri Tigers
Retired:
23: Johnny Roland, Roger Wehrli
27: Brock Olivo
37: Bob Steuber
42: Darold Jenkins
44: Paul Christman
83: Kellen Winslow
Ole Miss Rebels
Retired
18: Archie Manning
South Carolina Gamecocks
Retired
2: Sterling Sharpe
37: Steve Wadiak
38: George Rogers
56: Mike Johnson
Tennessee Volunteers
Retired
16: Peyton Manning
32: Bill Nowling
45: Johnny Majors
49: Rudy Klarer
61: Willis Tucker
62: Clyde Fuson
91: Doug Atkins
92: Reggie White
Texas A&M Aggies
Retired:
44: John David Crow
Vanderbilt Commodores
Retired
1: Kwane Doster, Michael Sloan (fan)
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
