The New York Giants have not yet seen their first-round draft pick, wide receiver Malik Nabers, play in the regular season, but they have made the decision to retire a number for him.
And it’s not just any number. It’s Ray Flaherty’s No. 1, the first number in professional football history to be retired.
Flaherty, a member of the Hall of Fame, had to retire his No. 1 in 1935. The Giants announced the move, saying the Flaherty family had given permission for Nabers to wear the number.
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Now Nabers wanted to change his number 9, as the New York Post first reported. He tried to talk to backup quarterback Drew Lock (number 2) and punter Jamie Gillan (number 6). However, these talks came to nothing.
Nabers, who wore No. 8 during his time at LSU, told the Post he only had these discussions with Lock and Gillan “because it would be pretty difficult to take the jersey out of circulation.”
However, team co-owner John Mara stood up for Nabers, saying that “No. 1 would be fine.”
GIANTS rookie Malik Nabers trolled his division rival even before his debut
Ray Flaherty Jr. eventually gave Mara the family’s blessing for the No. 1 and ensured that the number would be “re-retired” once Nabers’ career with the Giants came to an end.
“After thinking about it a little bit, my feeling was that we would only allow this to happen if the Flaherty family was OK with it,” Mara told the Post. “I think that’s very generous on their part, and Malik understands that this comes with a certain responsibility and how he has to conduct himself and represent the organization and the Flaherty family. He did a great job of that, he called them immediately to thank them.”
Nabers also called Flaherty Jr. to express his thanks.
“I’m really grateful to be able to wear your dad’s jersey, which is no longer available,” Nabers told Flaherty Jr., via the Washington Post. “I will wear it with honor. I will do my best when I’m out there on the field to properly represent all of you.”
Nabers learned after practice Wednesday that Flaherty Jr. had committed, adding that the family had previously said no. However, Mara let him know that No. 1 was on the table if he wanted it, and now it’s official.
By retiring a number – an extremely rare practice in professional sports – it shows how much faith the Giants have in their sixth-rounder to impact the team and ultimately build his own legacy.
Nabers was highly touted after graduating from LSU, and thanks to HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” NFL fans got to see how much the Giants loved him in the draft process. They wanted him and ended up getting him, though they never decided on a quarterback, despite reports that Michigan’s JJ McCarthy might be the favorite to take on Daniel Jones.
Instead, the Giants gave Jones the No. 1 receiver he’s needed since entering the league as the No. 6 overall pick in 2019.
Nabers was used sparingly in the preseason games, but there were enthusiastic reports throughout the training camp and at joint practices, and videos have shown that the LSU product dominates his professional colleagues.
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Can he do that in his rookie season and beyond? His first real test will come on September 8, when the Minnesota Vikings come to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for the Giants’ Week 1 opener.
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