The History of #44
The number 44 may just be the most historic number in college football history. What other backfield consisted of not one, not two, but three players in the college football hall of fame? Just to add on to that, two of those three players were inducted into Canton. Ernie Davis (pictured above) sadly passed away from leukemia before his NFL career could even start. Just for context, these legendary players didn’t all play at one time.
Jim Brown, probably the greatest NFL player of all time, wore the number first back in 1954. His predecessor, Ernie Davis, became the first African American to ever win the Heisman Trophy. Finally, there was the great Floyd Little. Aside from being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, Mr Little was also one of the greatest humans to ever walk the earth.
A Hall of Fame Backfield
This picture alone deserves an article of it’s own, but I’ll break it down for you. Every player on the right side of the photograph deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. The first player receiving the handoff is hall of famer Floyd “the franchise” Little. The man to the right of him is future NFL coach Tom Coughlin. Coughlin would go on to lead the New York Football Giants to two Super Bowl wins. The last player on the end is none other than the original “beast mode”, hall of famer Larry Csonka.
So to summarize, the legendary string of Syracuse running backs consisted of…
- #44 Jim Brown (1954-1956)
- #44 Ernie Davis (1959-1961)
- #44 Floyd Little (1964-1966)
- #49 Tom Coughlin (1964-1967)
- #39 Larry Csonka (1965-1967)
Potential Syracuse Players Worthy of #44
As you can see, the #44 is more than just two digits on a jersey. It’s symbolism. It’s iconic. Following the Floyd Little era, the number was only given out to those most deserving of it. Afterall, they had some big shoes to fill. To wear this number, you had to do more than just play well. You had to be the best. You were a leader, both on the field and in the classroom. To wear this number, you had to set an example by either being named team captain or by demonstrating exceptional leadership. With a history as rich as this one, you were expected to not only carry on the legacy, but live up to it.
The last player to ever dawn the historic jersey was fullback Rob Konrad back in 1998. Since then, nobody has ever worn that number. So with that being said, that leads us to the question…
If Syracuse were to ever bring back the legendary “44”, which player(s) in the last 20 years or so would be the most deserving of it?
At first glance, you’d have to think that the number could only be given to a running back, or at least an offensive player. I’d agree, but for the sake of argument, let’s expand that to any player. Without a doubt, the first player to come to mind has to be Syracuse’s current running back, Sean Tucker.
RB Sean Tucker #34 (2020-Present)
The last time Syracuse had an offensive player selected in the draft was back in 2013. Since then, if you were lucky enough to hear your name called out on draft day, you were either a defensive player or a placekicker. In fact, the last time Syracuse had a running back taken in the draft was in 2011. If you haven’t already noticed, Syracuse hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to their offensive weapons. Sean Tucker is an exception. Had he declared for the draft this year, he might’ve been one of the first running backs off the board.
Tucker finished the 2021 season as the sixth leading rusher in the nation with 1,500 total yards. Syracuse has never, in it’s history, had anyone rush for that many yards in one season. The only person to come close was Joe Morris in 1979. Without a doubt, Tucker has been Syracuse’s best tailback since the days of Brown, Davis, and Little. Hopefully one day, Syracuse will return to its days of producing NFL talent on a consistent basis. He’s a great player, but an even better person. Maturity, leadership, and honor are all words that could be used to describe Sean Tucker.
LB Zaire Franklin #4 (2014-2017)
There’s only been two, three-time captains in the history of Syracuse football. The first was Robert Adams in 1894, and the second was Zaire Franklin. A two time, all ACC selection, Franklin was a standout for the Orange. Having played through some of the losingest years in school history, Franklin still found a way to make it into the pros. If you were a Syracuse fan during those days, you were either tuning in to the game for one of two reasons. Our dual-threat quarterback, Eric Dungey, was reason number one. Zaire Franklin was reason number two. One thing is for certain. People weren’t watching Syracuse because they won a lot.
Syracuse Finds Success in the NFL
As a seventh round selection for the Indianapolis Colts, his shelf life in the NFL wasn’t expected to last very long. Now entering his fifth year, Franklin continues to surprise us. Although he has yet to win any awards or be elected to the Pro Bowl, he’s definitely been one of Indy’s key players on defense. With a PFF grade of 83.7, Franklin also ranks as the 10th best player on special teams in the NFL.
Fresh off a contract extension, Franklin looks like he’ll be around the facility for a little longer. For a seventh round pick, I’d say his NFL career has been pretty successful up to this point. By the way, after he got drafted and was asked to pick a jersey number, which number do you think he chose? I’ll give you one guess.
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