Former NFL tight end turned analyst/podcaster Rob Gronkowski didn’t mince words when speaking about New York Giants rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter’s request to wear the team’s famed (and retired ) No. 56.
“Was he serious asking for LT’s number?” Gronkowski said on an episode of the Dudes on Dudes podcast, which he co-hosts with former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman.
“Yeah, you were a high draft pick, but ‘LT’ is an absolute legend. The best to do it–one of the best defenders of all time. Like you gotta prove yourself. That’s crazy, just asking for ‘LT’s’ number. And I’m glad that ‘LT’ shut him down like that.”
According to the New York Post, Taylor met with Carter and advised him to get another number still in circulation and make it his own.
Carter graciously accepted Taylor’s rejection, noting that the worst the Hall of Fame linebacker and league-wide legend could have done was to say no.
After being rejected by Taylor, Carter was reportedly interested in wearing No. 11, his college jersey number at Penn State, with the Giants. However, the club also retired that number, last worn by quarterback Phil Simms.
While Simms initially sounded more open to allowing someone else to wear his number, he put the decision to a vote within his family, who overruled him.
While some might view Carter’s request as selfish, silly, bold, or whatever negative adjective one might want to attach to the action, it seems it was more about his respect for those who preceded him in the Giants’ rich historical tapestry. Carter, in wanting to wear No. 56.
Without having asked the 23-year-old linebacker what he was thinking when he eyed No. 56, perhaps wearing that number might have served as extra motivation to live up to Taylor’s legacy, though admittedly, that’s a tall order and expectation to hold for any prospect.
In fact, Taylor did Carter a favor by declining his number because the moment Carter stumbles–and every prospect, no matter how good they are, has bad days at the office–the blowback from the critics would have instantly put the young man on the hottest of hot seats for thinking himself worthy of wearing the number.
As Carter said, there was no harm in asking, just as there’s no reason why Carter still can’t strive to reach that elite level of linebacker play that LT made famous.
If he comes close, then good on him for continuing to pursue greatness, which is what coaches really want from their players.
