The prologue to Abdul Carter’s NFL journey didn’t pan out exactly as he’d hoped.
And for good reason.
The New York Giants selected the standout Penn State edge rusher with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night, and they certainly expect him to be the next great defensive lineman for a franchise with a storied history of sacking the quarterback.
And none did it better than Lawrence Taylor, whom many consider to be the greatest defensive player in the NFL’s 105-year history.
Carter certainly thinks so.
Which is why the rookie asked for permission to wear LT’s fabled No. 56 jersey.
The answer was a swift no.
“I know he would love to wear that number, but, hey, I think it’s retired,” Taylor told the New York Post. “Get another number, I don’t care if it’s double zero, and then make it famous.”
To which Carter responded on social media, saying Taylor's rebuff was fuel. “The worst thing he could say was NO!! My stance don’t change, LT is the GOAT nothing but respect. ... This just gonna make me work even harder!! I love it.”
Taylor’s response, which he even felt the need to clarify — stating he will be there for Carter whenever the rookie needs and will be a support system — needed no explanation.
LT is the most dominant player in franchise history, one of the handful of greatest players in the league’s history. He earned the designation that no one will ever wear a No. 56 jersey for Big Blue again.
In recent years, "unretiring" jerseys has become a popular subject as many players want to honor their predecessor, as is the case with Carter, or wear the number they wore in college or a previous professional team, as was the case when Jerry Rice was traded to the Seahawks in 2004 and wore Steve Largent’s retired No. 80.
The worst thing he could say was NO!! My stance don’t change, LT is the ???? nothing but respect… This just gonna make me work even harder!! I love it.
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) April 26, 2025
Or for any number of other reasons, this request has unfortunately become mainstream.
Even last season, the Giants reinstated No. 1 for rookie wideout Malik Nabers with the permission of the family of Ray Flaherty, who played for New York in 1929 and then from 1931-35.
And while Nabers obviously had as productive a rookie season as any receiver in history, Flaherty’s No. 1 is not only the first number retired in Giants history, it was the first retired in league history.
What is ridiculous about this situation is Nabers didn’t even wear No. 1 in college, he wore No. 8, which was worn by Daniel Jones, who is now with the Colts.
So, could Nabers theoretically change to No. 8 now that Jones is gone, meaning the team would have unretired Flaherty’s jersey for one season?
Theoretically yes. There has been no indicator he will do as such, and I’m sure the Giants would prefer he stay at No. 1, but these are just possibilities with the way that numbers change so often of late.
And collectors grow accustomed to accumulating memorabilia associated with a certain number, so any number change often sends them scrambling.
Having your number retired by a team is among the highest honors any athlete can earn, and many will tell you it is the top.
It is the recognition you are so important to the fabric of the team and the city they never even want the chance for anyone else to potentially dampen what the number means to the organization.
The only celebration that can top that is a statue, and we’ve seen plenty of those go awry.
This is why I have a problem with players asking for jerseys to be unretired.
The immediate word that comes to mind is disrespectful. But it’s not disrespectful. Carter wanted to celebrate the legacy of LT and begin a tradition, like that at Penn State, where No. 11 is worn by defensive legends, such as LaVar Arrington, Micah Parsons and Carter, himself.
So, disrespectful is the wrong word. But it’s certainly insular, and it’s definitely cavalier.
Everything Carter showed in college tells us he should be a superstar in the NFL. But what if he isn’t? It’s not like he would be the first bust in the league.
Sure, it was a polite ask for permission. Carter didn’t demand he be allowed to wear 56. But even to suggest the greatest player in team history would unravel one of his most prestigious honors so that you, someone who has never played a single snap of professional football, can share in his legacy is a distinct level of vanity.
And this doesn’t apply for just Carter.
Cam Ward asked franchise legend Warren Moon for permission to wear No. 1 for the Tennessee Titans.
Warren Moon PERSONALLY delivered a No. 1 jersey to Cam Ward and gave his blessing for Ward to wear it ????
— cllct (@cllctMedia) April 25, 2025
Moon's number was retired by the Titans in 2006.
(via @Titans)
pic.twitter.com/I3COniVUV6
Now, this is slightly different because Moon, who granted the request, never wore the number for the Titans. His No. 1 was retired by the Houston Oilers, who moved to Nashville and changed their name ahead of the 1999 season.
Moon played for Houston from 1984-93, leaving the team six years before the change, though he did face off against Tennessee in his final season, in 2000.
And even with all that nitpicking, I still don’t think Ward should’ve worn No. 1, although I have much more leniency for his request, as opposed to Carter’s.
Taylor’s quote to Carter was the most important lesson that any athlete should learn from this.
“Get another number ... and then make it famous.”
Make it your own.
There are a number of players who would’ve worn different numbers had they had it their way, perhaps most notably Derek Jeter.
When Jeter was called up to the Yankees in 1995, he wanted to wear No. 13, as it was the number his father wore. But 13 was taken by Danny Tartabull, a former All-Star who was a few years past his prime, but nonetheless, the number was his.
At the time, only two single-digit numbers remained for the Bronx Bombers. There were Nos. 2 and 6, the latter of which was being worn by infielder Tony Fernandez (and was later retired in 2014, as skipper Joe Torre wore it during his legendary stint as Yankees manager).
So, Jeter wore No. 2, though according to Ian O’Conner’s book, "The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter," former Yankees head equipment manager Nick Priore wanted to change him to 19 heading into 1996 because he didn’t think Jeter was deserving of a single-digit number.
The challenge was something Jeter fought head on, and 22 years later his number was retired by the Yankees. Now, not only is No. 2 the most popular number worn in all of baseball, it’s the most popular-selling baseball jersey of all time.
Jeter made No. 2 his own.
That’s what Carter should do. That’s what all rookies should do with whatever number they get.
Make it yours.
Matt Liberman is a video producer and reporter for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.