By Chris Velardi '95
If you were making a list of things most closely associated with Syracuse University, the number 44 would undoubtedly be at or near the top of that list. Perhaps only Orange would rank higher.
No number is more connected with a college football program than the storied #44 is with Syracuse University. The Legend of 44 has its roots on the Archbold Stadium football field, where a running back named Jim Brown donned the #44 jersey in 1954. Brown became the first of three Syracuse University running backs wearing #44 to earn All-America honors between 1956 and 1966. Those three players—Brown ’57, Ernie Davis ’62, and Floyd Little ’67—are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and honored with statues on Plaza 44, outside the Ensley Athletic Center.
After Brown, Davis, and Little built the #44 foundation, it became a high honor for a player to be assigned the special #44 jersey. From 1987 to 1993, running backs Michael Owens and Terry Richardson ’94 had solid ’Cuse careers wearing the #44 jersey. Rob Konrad ’02, a fullback who was chosen in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, is the last football player to wear the fabled number at SU.
Success in the #44 jersey hasn’t been limited to the football field. Former basketball big men Danny Schayes ’81, Derrick Coleman ’15, and John Wallace ’12 all played in the NBA after wearing the #44 jersey at Syracuse University. Wallace, a senior on the 1996 Final Four squad, was the last SU basketball player to wear the number.
Over time, the number’s significance has extended beyond athletics and has come to represent something special for students and alumni, faculty, and staff. It is an iconic and irreplaceable part of the fabric of Syracuse University—where the phone numbers all begin with 44 and the zip code ends in 44.
This fall, Syracuse University is adding to the tradition with a new way to pay tribute to the significance of the number. Orange Central 2018 will feature the University’s first 44th Milestone Reunion, bringing the class of 1974 back together during SU’s annual homecoming and reunion weekend, October 18-21.
“44 is such a significant and iconic number at Syracuse University, and it deserves to be celebrated,” said Sue Ballard, vice president of alumni engagement. “That’s why we’ve created a unique event to bring together and honor alumni who graduated 44 years ago! At SU, that’s something special!”
The 44th Reunion celebration will be held in the lobby of the Heroy Geology Laboratory, just steps from the Carrier Dome, following the game against North Carolina. Members of the Class of ’74 and their guests can reconnect and share memories with music from their time at SU, drinks, food, and their appropriately named signature class cocktail, the “44.”
To see a complete schedule of Orange Central events, visit orangecentral.syr.edu. Be sure to take advantage of special Early Orange pricing by registering before September 18.