New York Giants rookie sensation wide receiver Malik Nabers is making a change this upcoming season.
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Nabers will go from wearing No. 9 to No. 1 after the Giants’ unretired Hall of Fame defensive end Ray Flaherty’s No.1 jersey number.
The Giants shared the news via Twitter/X.
“Thank you to the Flaherty family for allowing me to wear Number 1 for the New York Giants,” said Nabers. “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.”
The family of the Giants legend granted permission for the team to unretire the number so that Nabers can wear it moving forward.
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
Nabers wore the No. 8 at LSU before he switched to 9 in training camp. It was a long time coming for Nabers, who was persistent in wanting to wear the No. 1. Early in training camp, he asked general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll if it would be possible.
Giants president John Mara explains the process behind it to the New York Post’s Steve Serby.
“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 the Post. “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.”
Flathery Jr. also told the Post that he appreciated Nabers for the call.
“He seems like a fine young man,” he said. “I feel really good about it after he made the call.”
Flathery Jr. also added the decision process of letting Nabers wear No. 1.
“We kinda took a vote originally, and we didn’t know much about Malik,” Flaherty Jr. said. “There might be somebody alive when my dad played from that time area but they were so small that they wouldn’t remember. John Mara made a pretty good point that it was kind of a good way to get his name out again.”
The Giants selected Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is set to bring a new dimension to the offense, and he will now do so proudly wearing the No.1 jersey.
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