Malik Nabers has received a unique honor from the New York Giants.
The former Comeaux High and LSU star wide receiver will become the first Giants player to wear the No. 1 jersey since 1935. The number had not been available to players since franchise legend Ray Flaherty retired after the 1935 season.
Not only was Flaherty’s number the first Giants jersey to be retired in franchise history, it was the first to be retired by any organization in professional football.
After Giants president and chief executive officer John Mara had conversations with Ray Flaherty Jr., the family and organization signed off on Nabers to wear the No. 1 jersey.
“I’m going to represent their family’s retired number well,” Nabers said. “I’m going to try my best. I’m grateful that they chose the opportunity to un-retire the jersey and let me wear it. I’m going to wear it with pride.”
Nabers wore No. 9 throughout the spring and summer but needed a different number since punter Graham Gano is No. 9. At lSU, he wore No. 8 but that belonged to starting quarterback Daniel Jones.
“Everybody else’s number was really taken,” Nabers said. “I looked into retired jerseys and number one stood out. So, I asked John Mara about it. He was like, ‘We could give it a shot.’ So, we gave it a shot.”
Mara initially was against the idea but after talking with the Flaherty family, including Ray Jr., daughter Shelby, and sons Chad and Conner.
“I understood that Malik was interested in wearing number one, and we initially told him, ‘No, it’s been retired for many years,'” Mara said. “Then I thought, I think we’d be willing to allow it if the Flaherty family would be agreeable to it. I spoke with Ray Flaherty. Jr. a couple of weeks ago and I’ve had several conversations with him since, and they called me today to tell me that they would be agreeable to allowing Malik to wear the number.
“I thought it was a very gracious gesture on their part, but I also thought it would allow us to at least educate people as to who Ray Flaherty was, because he played in the 1930s, and I’m sure that most of our fans have no idea who he was. This all took place today and we’re very grateful to the Flaherty family and I told them that the number would go back to being retired after Malik’s career, which hopefully will last many years, is over.”
Flaherty was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He played for the Giants from 1928-29 and 1931-35 and helped them advance to the NFL Championship Game in 1933, 1934, and 1935. Flaherty famously suggested to coach Steve Owen that the Giants wear sneakers in the icy conditions at the Polo Grounds in the 1934 championship game, known as the “Sneakers Game.” The Giants took advantage of solid footing in the second half and rolled to a 30-13 victory.
Nabers left LSU as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003) and accomplished the feat in three seasons. Nabers is one of two players in Tiger history to top the 3,000-yard mark in receiving yards, joining former Rayne High star Josh Reed (3,001 yards from 1999-2001).
The Giants selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
“I think this was kind of a unique circumstance in that the number was retired so long ago, and that people don’t know who Ray Flaherty was,” Mara said. “So, I think it was an opportunity to highlight his career a little bit and tell people about him.”
“It shows how much this organization wants to make me a key factor in the offense,” he said. “How much they’re invested in me. It shows how much this organization put trust on me.”
Nabers added, “I heard this is the first number ever retired in sports history. So, I’m sure this number is going to blow up when everybody sees me wearing it.”