What should be the criteria for retired jerseys? Surely it’s not being drafted and/or playing in the NFL? Shouldn’t it be for their contribution while at Tech?

I got curious and looked this up, from Tech athletic site:

RETIRED JERSEYS
Three Red Raider football players have had their jersey numbers retired. E.J. Holub’s No. 55 was retired on Dec. 19, 1960, and Donny Anderson’s No. 44 was retired Nov. 11, 1995. Dave Parks’ No. 81 jersey was retired Nov. 17, 2001. Both Holub and Anderson are members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

No doubt Crabtree brought more media attention to Tech but all 3 of these players were unique and deserve the honor equally. May want to consider Harrell as well.

Thomas and Welker have made the pro-bowl (Welker has gone, right?). I think that’s a pretty solid criterion. I don’t want us to be like Texas and retire a number the second a great player leaves, though, you know? Let’s at least wait two years, until after Crabtree would have graduated.

I like the honor the player aspect, for sure.

But the weirdest thing to me is when a team has a bunch of retired jerseys from the 50s and 60s…and nobody since. It just visually displays the fact that some schools have sucked for a really long time. : )

I would think developing some sort of criteria that was difficult enough to achieve, yet honored players who only contributed for two years given the NFL draft rules these days, would be a toughie. I wouldn’t use NFL success at all in the criteria. Look at Willie Parker. He barely sniffed the field for four full years at NC, yet is a 2x pro bowl performer for the Steelers.

Plus, I’d wait at least 15-20 years from when they left Tech. Let the numbers and the player’s impact stand the test of time like Tech did with Donny Anderson and Dave Parks. Who’s to say some hotshot doesn’t come along in two years and smack around Crabtree’s numbers?

I agree that their performance in the NFL should not impact the decision. A player deserves to have their college jersey retired if they made a great contribution to the program overall while still at said college. I think we all agree that Crabtree is the greatest receiver to come through the TTU ranks to this point, and he is partly responsible for putting Tech right in the middle of the media ‘map’ last season. If that sticks and we regularly recruit better players and are constantly ranked well and stay in the media’s attention over the next 10-15 years then I would say he made a major contribution to TTU’s program and really created a turning point for us… THEN we should retire his jersey.

I love Danny as much as the next guy and was lucky enough to see him play in person as a student, but he did not rattle the foundations of our program in any way, in my opinion. It is truly great to see one of our former players have so much success in the NFL and I couldn’t possibly be happier for him, but I don’t really see a need to ever retire his jersey. That is tough to say, but we have to draw the line somewhere of course.

I don’t agree with retiring any numbers. First of all, that says this person was more important than anyone else on this team, which that person would not have had the success they did without the support of the rest of the team. Then it says this person in more important thant anyone else who has or may wear this number. It’s a team sport. You win as a team. You lose as a team. I agree that Crabtree is one of the best ever and best ever at Tech, but I don’t agree with putting a player above the team or whole program.

I guess the biggest problem I have with the original post is that Crabs left early for the draft. For this, we should retire his number?

Criteria #1 should be graduation from TTU or at least finishing all eligibility.
Criteria #2 should be impact to the football program while in a Red Raider Uniform

Way down on the list should be the person’s draft position and NFL record.

what more criteria do you need?

I would say wait until another years has passed (so it will have been four since he entered Tech). I realize I am dreaming here, but it would be nice if they made graduation from the school a requirement before retiring a jersey; it would give the player in question motivation to come back and finish his degree.

Nothing is more laughable to me than texas’ decision to retire the jersey of a player who barely spent a year on campus before jumping to the NBA (Kevin Durant). If a player spends more time at a high school than he does at your program, he does not deserve to have his jersey retired. Completing your degree, and making yourself a permanent part of the academic history of a school, would help meet this criteria.

All 3 of the retired numbers had both outstanding college and pro careers.

ZT is definitely next on the list, and he has certainly earned his spot. Wes Welker is well on his way to attaining their status, and it is my belief that by the end of his pro career, he will be able worthy of having his number retired. IMO Sammy Morris is on the outside looking in, but never say never.

To start giving it to players who haven’t had success at the pro level does a disservice to the original 3 retirees and degrades the reward.

Not only should football be a key component of their performance, but honor should be as well. We can’t have players’ numbers retired who were suspended for drug use by the NFL or didn’t go to class because “God told him not to.”

While they had incredible Tech careers, their conduct and lack of success beyond the Tech doesn’t make them worthy to be mentioned with the likes of Holub, Parks, Anderson, and ZT.

Give Crabtree some time – he will earn his spot.

I like the idea of giving it to graduates, but I don’t think it’s practical in today’s game. If their success at the college and pro level constitutes anything like the first 3 (plus Zach) everyone will know they belong.

I think we’d have to retire immediately: (and I know I’m missing plenty…)
Zach Thomas
Wes Welker
Byron Hanspard
Bam Morris
Lloyd Hill
Gabriel Rivera
Montae Reagor
Tracy Saul
Elmer Tarbox
James Gray
Lawrence Flugence??
Billy Joe Tolliver??
Charles Odiorne…
Mark Bounds…
See how it starts to get muddled?

Let’s make it clear-cut and easy to make the distinction.