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If Abdul Carter’s jersey number selections were a batting average, he would be in the Hall of Fame.
At least he can now build a Hall of Fame resume on a number that could go down in New York Giants lore.
After getting shut down to wearing both Lawrence Taylor’s No. 56 and Phil Simms’ No. 11, Carter, the third overall pick of the draft, has settled on No. 51.
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Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, right, poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected 3rd overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The Giants announced that Carter will wear the number for rookie minicamp (Jaxson Dart was given No. 6, and Cam Skattebo No. 44), but the numbers are subject to change.
Carter asked Taylor, perhaps the greatest Giant and defensive player ever, whether he could wear his No. 56, which was retired by the Giants in 1994. It was a hard no from LT himself.
Later on, Simms said he would allow Carter to wear his No. 11, which was retired by the Giants in 1995. Carter wore the number throughout his career at Penn State, a badge of honor at the school. It is given to a player the university, and the last representative, feels is worthy. The previous Nittany Lion to wear it before Carter was Micah Parsons, who wears it now with the Dallas Cowboys.
However, that request was ultimately shut down by Simms’ family after a lengthy, fiery debate among the members of the household.
Upon hearing the news, Carter joked that he would “be out there with just my last name on my jersey, no number.” But, he’ll be at minicamp with a number that likely has never even been considered being retired.
New York Giants first round draft pick, Abdul Carter, takes questions from the media during his introduction press conference. (Thomas Salus-Imagn Images)
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No. 51 was worn last season by edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. It was first seen on a Giant in 1946 by Chet Gladchuk.
The most notable Giant to wear the number is Zak DeOssie, a two-time Super Bowl champion long snapper who wore it from 2004 to 2017.
Last season, the team unretired Ray Flaherty’s No. 1 for wide receiver Malik Nabers, who wore No. 9 throughout college. Flaherty’s number retirement was the first in professional football history. Flaherty’s family gave the Giants permission to unretire the number for Nabers, who wore it well. Nabers, as a rookie, set the franchise record for most receptions in a season, with 109.
New York Giants first-round draft picks, Abdul Carter, left, and Jaxson Dart, pose for photos prior to the start of the press conference. (Thomas Salus-Imagn Images)
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The G-Men have 13 retired numbers for 14 players. (The No. 14 is for Ward Cuff and Y.A. Tittle.) Warren Moon recently granted Cam Ward permission to wear No. 1 with the Tennessee Titans.
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