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Braylon Edwards is disappointed how Michigan is handing out No. 1 jersey to players
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In a recent interview with Maize n Brew, former Michigan superstar wide receiver Braylon Edwards voiced his concerns with how the team is now handing out the No. 1 jersey to players.
Back in his day, as he recalls it, he fought for that number. It meant something to him. Now?
He feels as though there isn’t the same emphasis put on the No. 1 as there was when he was playing for Lloyd Carr.
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Below is a piece of Edwards talking about the matter:
“No. 1 has usually been handed out in the past, but once I got it, Lloyd (Carr) told me I had to earn it,” Edwards told Maize n Brew. “I wasn’t a five star and it was not used as a recruiting tool for me. I had to earn it, so he made me go through my freshman year and I didn’t earn it. He made me go through my sophomore year in which I played well. But we even went through winter conditioning first (my junior year) before allowing me to have my number.
“So I went through a lot to get it. I fought hard tooth and nail. I fought through injuries. I fought through not being able to be named ‘the guy,’ but fighting to be ‘the guy.’ I fought for that jersey and I really wanted it. So with that being said, after I did the jersey endowment scholarship, which that wasn’t predicated on the No. 1, it was just called the No. 1 endowment, I was very serious about the number because I knew what that meant to me. I knew when I put that jersey on, I know what pressures I took on. I know what I was ready for. I know that the team could depend on me. They could count on me. I know I was ready to do whatever it took for Michigan to succeed on any given day of the week and any given time of the year.
“So when you just start handing the jersey out to use as a recruiting chip or recruiting tool, you know…I remember (Rich Rodriguez) was going to give it to a defensive back. And I was like, ‘aw man.’ Harbaugh has since given it to a defensive back and it’s just…I get it, but it’s just, that number is synonymous with that. USC would not let a center wear 55. Those are just coveted things. For me, I wanted the kids to understand that I think if you put a different onus on the jersey number, if you put a different onus on it before handing it out, you’ll get a different response from a kid. You’ll get a kid that wants to do more and wants to focus more and eventually you’ll get a man. As opposed to ‘hey, here’s this’ and you take it for granted.”
Does Edwards have a point? Sure he does. He felt as though that number was special when he wore it. Now, he doesn’t feel that way.
However, this is a new Michigan team now with a new head coach. Jim Harbaugh isn’t Lloyd Carr. Harbaugh, at least according to Edwards, isn’t respecting the No. 1 jersey as much as Carr was.
Currently, Ambry Thomas — a junior CB — wears No. 1. The only other player to wear that jersey under Harbaugh was WR Kekoa Crawford, who transferred to Michigan in 2018.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.