Giants receiver Malik Nabers has a new number.
He will become the first Giants player to wear No. 1 since Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty, who became the first professional football player to have his number retired in 1935.
“Thank you to the Flaherty family for allowing me to wear No. 1 for the New York Giants,” Nabers said in a statement released through the team. “I understand the responsibility, and I will do everything in my power to honor the Flaherty family and this organization. I will wear the number with great pride. Can’t wait for the season to start.”
Nabers wore No. 8 at LSU, but Daniel Jones has that number with the Giants. He initially picked No. 9 and wore that in training camp and the preseason. But Nabers wanted a different single-digit number, and co-owner John Mara contacted Ray Flaherty Jr. for permission to bring No. 1 out of retirement. The first-round draft pick talked to Flaherty Jr. before Wednesday’s practice, Steve Serby of the New York Post reports.
“After thinking about it a little bit, my feeling was we would allow that only if the Flaherty family was OK with it,” Mara told Serby. “I think it’s very gracious on their part, and Malik understands that that comes with a certain responsibility and how he needs to conduct himself and represent the organization and the Flaherty family. He’s been great about it. He immediately called them to thank them.”
Flaherty Jr. told Serby the number will return to being retired once Nabers’ career is done with the Giants.