CNN
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New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers will wear the No. 1 jersey in his rookie season in the NFL, becoming the first Giants player to wear the number since 1935.
The number 1 was last worn by Ray Flaherty 89 years ago and was retired after his retirement from the NFL, making it the first jersey number in professional football to be retired.
Nabers, who was selected No. 6 overall by New York in the 2024 draft, was looking for a new number. He wore No. 9 throughout spring training, but it currently belongs to punter Graham Gano, while his college No. 8 is worn by starting quarterback Daniel Jones.
According to the Giants, Nabers asked team president and CEO John Mara if he could wear No. 1, which led to discussions between Mara and Flaherty’s son, Ray Flaherty Jr., and his daughter and two other sons eventually agreed to let Nabers wear the number.
“I thank the Flaherty family for allowing me to wear No. 1 for the New York Giants,” said Nabers. “I understand the responsibility and will do everything in my power to honor the Flaherty family and this organization. I will wear the number with great pride. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Flaherty was an NFL champion with the Giants in the 1934 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He coached the league’s Boston, Washington, the short-lived New York Yankees NFL franchise and the Chicago Hornets, compiling a record of 80 wins, 37 losses and five ties. He is credited with introducing the screen pass to the sport.
According to Flaherty Jr., his family was not entirely convinced at first.
“I have two sons and a daughter. And of course, this is their grandfather,” he said, according to the Giants. “At first, my daughter wasn’t so keen on it. And she was the one who was able to bring herself to do it. At some point, she said, ‘This might bring him luck. Number one might be a good number for him.’ She gave in. We thought that was the right thing to do.”
He added that he agreed with Mara that this was a good opportunity to introduce Flaherty to a generation of New York fans unfamiliar with his career.
Mara described the move as a “very generous gesture” and confirmed that the number would be retired after the end of Nabers’ career.
The Giants will begin their 2024 season on September 8 with a visit from the Minnesota Vikings.