Retiring a jersey number is like putting a player’s legacy in a glass case, literally. Once a jersey number is retired, it becomes untouchable, even for the future stars of that team. While retiring a jersey number comes with a lot of respect and adoration, recently the University of Colorado sparked a lot of controversy when they decided to retire Shedeur Sanders’ No. 2 and Travis Hunter’s No. 12 a little faster than the convention. Making former players and fans upset.
Here’s everything you need to know about retiring jerseys and the Shedeur Sanders controversy.
The University Of Colorado Started Controversy After Retiring Shedeur Sanders’ Jersey
On Monday, Colorado announced it would retire the jersey numbers of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. This happened just months after their final game. It’s the fastest jersey retirement in the school’s history.
Colorado has only retired four numbers in 135 years of football. For comparison, Rashaan Salaam’s No. 19 was retired in 2017, 23 years after his Heisman win. The speed of this decision has made both fans and former players frustrated.
Chad Brown, a former CU linebacker, took to social media and said, “Legacy matters. The past matters. Never want to take away from anything #2 or #12 have done. Amazing players. But to act as if CU FB was invented three years ago ignores the greatness in the past.”
He believes the move overlooks legends from earlier eras. Brown later explained to USA TODAY Sports that he’s not against Sanders or Hunter. He just wants the school to honor the full history of CU football.
Deion Sanders, known as Coach Prime, responded on Thursday. He called the criticism a “sore subject.” He believes the backlash is only because of his son’s last name. “If his last name wasn’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion,” he told reporters. But others disagree. They think it’s about fairness, not names.
Former CU receiver Darrin Chiaverini suggested a waiting period before retiring numbers. This would give time to reflect on a player’s impact. CU legend Darian Hagan, who led the team to a 1990 national championship, shared Chiaverini’s comments online. It seems he agrees. Even now, the debate seems to be growing, and it’s not just about two players; it’s about how a school honors its history.
Why Do Teams Retire Numbers?
Retiring a number is a special honor. It means no one else on the team can wear that number again. Teams do this for players who leave a huge mark, like winning big awards or leading the team to glory. Sometimes, it’s for players who face tragedy, like dying young or getting badly hurt. In sports like football, basketball, and hockey, retired numbers often hang in the stadium. They’re like banners that tell stories of greatness.
The first retired number in pro sports was in 1934. The Toronto Maple Leafs retired Ace Bailey’s No. 6 in hockey. Since then, teams across sports have followed. Some even retire numbers for fans, like the “12th man” for the crowd’s support. Others honor tragedies, like the Vegas Golden Knights retiring No. 58 for the 58 victims of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.
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In soccer, retiring numbers is newer. Players didn’t always have fixed numbers until the 1990s. Now, clubs like AC Milan and Manchester City retire numbers for stars like Paolo Maldini or Marc-Vivien Foé, who died during a game. But FIFA, the soccer governing body, doesn’t allow national teams to retire numbers. They rejected attempts to retire Diego Maradona’s No. 10 for Argentina.
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