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Retired football jersey numbers

Posted on 5/24/26 at 8:55 am
Posted by lsudat10
Lexington, KY
Member since Mar 2010
2846 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 8:55 am
Does anyone understand this process?

According to a Google and ChatGPT, these are the current official retired jersey numbers:

#20 — Billy Cannon
#21 — Jerry Stovall
#37 — Tommy Casanova
#4 — Charles Alexander (approved for retirement in 2025)

On the current roster, #’s 4, 21, & 37 are being worn. No one has worn #’s 5 or 9 since Daniels and Burrow hoisted Heisman trophies.

Has anyone worn #20 since Billy Cannon?
Will #’s 5 & 9 be retired too?
Will we ever see someone wear these numbers again, or is there another explanation (ie out of circulation for a certain period)?

I’m confused… why are some OK to wear but not others?

Thinking #5 will never be worn at LSU again is a bummer. It looks so good in P&G. Wish we could see #20 as well.

I understand recency bias and not wanting to take anything away from those player’s accomplishments. I think a better way to immortalize them is have a room for fans to walk through that pays tribute to them. Highlights on a loop, encased memorabilia, their own statue, etc.

Retiring a jersey number never to be worn again as tradition is antiquated and doesn’t teach the futures about their accomplishments imo
It’s better to assume a place like LSU will always have amazing football players come through, but the best of the very best should be enshrined within their own room.
Posted by The Blue Stuff
Member since Oct 2015
2488 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 9:03 am to
Retiring a jersey is different than retiring a number. Only 20 is not being worn and it looks like they are doing that with 9.
Posted by TigerFanFromBama
Pike Road, AL
Member since Mar 2015
4869 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 9:14 am to
quote:

No one has worn #’s 5 or 9 since Daniels and Burrow hoisted Heisman trophies.


Its kinda unnecessary to be honest. If LSU has 3 more Heisman winners over the next 15-20 years will they refuse to allow anyone to wear those numbers too?

Off the top of my head, I know Bama & Florida doesnt retire numbers to be worn.

I get maybe putting it on the shelf for the next 5 seasons, but indefinitely? Nah. Just get the Heisman winner a statue at 5th year anniversary season... it shouldnt take 20 years to do so lol.

Posted by JimTiger72
LA
Member since Jun 2023
18963 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 9:18 am to
It’s a new rule that any numbers retired after 2007 can still be worn, it’s up to the coach’s discretion.

Cannon’s #20 was retired before then & will never be worn again.

#21, #37, & #4 were retired after 2007 so they can still be worn.

While not retired yet, it appears #5 & #9 will never be worn again. Heisman winner seems like an acceptable qualification

From LSU:
quote:

Under a provision of the LSU jersey retirement bylaws established Jan. 1, 2007, the retirement of an athlete’s jersey in a particular sport does not preclude a current student-athlete in that sport from wearing the jersey number in that or any other sport, subject to the discretion of the head coach. This provision applies only to jerseys retired after January 1, 2007. The numbers worn by Maravich, Pettit, O’Neal, Cannon and Bertman may never again be worn by future student-athletes in their respective sports.
This post was edited on 5/24/26 at 9:21 am
Posted by Lsuray70443
Independence
Member since Dec 2025
851 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 9:45 am to
LSU changed the rule so more jerseys could be retired. So after 2007 when a jersey is retired it still can be worn.
Accidents can happen. Once a student manager gave Glen Davis a 50 jersey (Bob Pettit’s number) by accident after his jersey was ripped and he wore it for part of a game.
We were not giving 37 out for a while but Brian Kelly did. The equipment manager withheld Joe burrows 9 and layer Jayden Daniels 5 but that is nothing official. On our current football roster no player is assigned 20, 9 or 5 but 21, 37 have been assigned.
Posted by The Hurricane
Gulf of Mexico
Member since Aug 2011
10291 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 9:49 am to
quote:

Florida doesnt retire numbers to be worn.

I’m firmly against retiring most numbers, but fact that Florida didn’t retire 15 is crazy.
Posted by The Hurricane
Gulf of Mexico
Member since Aug 2011
10291 posts
Posted on 5/24/26 at 9:53 am to
quote:

We were not giving 37 out for a while but Brian Kelly did

21 and 37 have been assigned for the past 20+ years.

The number 20 was the only number officially retired. They’ve now quietly retired 9 and I have a feeling Lamar Brown is going to wear 5.

If you retire a number, it should be because the player won the likes of Heisman and natty. Anyone else, “retire” their jersey in the stadium.
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