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Is a Jersey Number More Than Just a Number?
Association, respect, and why we define our favorite athletes by digits on polyester and nylon
Jalin Hyatt was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft. The Giants have high hopes for the product out of Tennessee, who has flashed big play ability this preseason. But Hyatt, who came into the preseason wearing the number 84 on his jersey, has decided to change his jersey number. His preferred number 11 is retired by the Giants (immortalized by the great Phil Simms), so he has decided to take a number of another recognizable Giant: Odell Beckham Jr’s number 13.
Hyatt is not the first Giant player to wear the number since Beckham was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019. In fact, wide receiver David Sills IV has worn the number for the last couple of years. But the fact that Beckham has given Hyatt his blessing, indicates that he still feels an association and attachment to the number 13 in blue. The dynamic speaks to the way that we associate numbers with players, long after they have left the playing field. And it begs to ask the question, when is a number more than just a number?
