This is an article in Headsets by John Torrey
Willie Mays will forever be remembered as #24.
Rickey Henderson wore #24 in honor of Mays, who was his childhood hero.
Ken Griffey, Jr. wore #24 to honor his hero, Rickey Henderson.
While each of these men are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, the #24 remains part of baseball and its legacy lives on for future generations of athletes yet to come.
Each season, jersey numbers are issued to every member of a team. Athletes forge their identity through the number issued to them, which can be used to determine their position on the field or, as described above, represent their heroes. But jersey numbers are rented, owned by an organization, not an individual. At the end of the season, every jersey will be collected, stored, and reissued the following year. However, the accomplishments earned and the memories made while wearing that number are the athlete’s to keep. These become part of each number’s legacy.
Athletes can define their legacy by asking themselves one question: how do you want to be remembered? Dan McCarney first posed this question to our football staff at Iowa State University in 2004, and for nearly twenty years, I’ve thought a lot about these seven words. In 2003, McCarney's Cyclones finished 2-10, dead last in the Big XII. The next spring, Coach Mac challenged our coaching staff to change the trajectory of Cyclone Football and rewrite the legacy we were leaving.
The 2004 campaign was one of the most successful in Iowa State football history. Our mantra became “OOTMITIA,” which stood for "One Of The Most Improved Teams In America." By focusing on growth and improvement, our team added four wins to the previous season's total, finishing the regular season as co-Big XII North Champions. We also earned a bid to play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. With one more opportunity to add to the 2004 team's legacy, Iowa State defeated the Miami Redhawks, one of just five bowl wins in school history. Today, I celebrate the greatest turnaround in Cyclone Football history whenever I wear our team's bowl championship ring. When I stare at the encrusted diamonds, my mind drifts back to our team mantra, "OOTMITIA," and the question that made it all possible: How do you want to be remembered?
Every organization has its own unique history. Bo Schembechler, the legendary coach of the Michigan Wolverines, believed it is the leader’s responsibility to pass that history on to future people inside the organization. Schembechler used to tell his players: “It’s your job to learn it, respect it, and to teach it.” A football team’s history can be told through team accomplishments, individual accolades, or a combination of the two. But how do you honor the contributions of others when a team experiences limited success?
The final week of the regular season has become Legacy Week in Monarch Football. Like Coach McCarney, I challenge our team to think about the legacy they are leaving behind for future Monarchs. Legacy Week is a time to think, reflect, evaluate, and appreciate where an athlete’s football journey started and compare it to where they are now. Legacy Week means something different to each member of our team. For underclassmen, it is the opportunity to dream; to state their future goals and create a plan to attack them. For coaches, Legacy Week is a time to uphold the traditions and values of Monarch Football, as well as honor those who came before us and carve out the path for players who are yet to be. Legacy Week hits hardest for the Seniors, whose time in Monarch Football is coming to an end. It signifies the last time they will wear purple and gold, bask in the Friday Night Lights, enjoy the company of their teammates, many of whom they have known since elementary school, and the opportunity to create one final memory that will be burned into their minds long into adulthood.
During Legacy Week, every Senior is invited to complete a brief Google Form, which consists of the following questions:
What years did you participate in Monarch Football?
What number did you choose to wear?
A picture is worth 1,000 words. Upload your favorite picture of you wearing your jersey.
Describe your best memory as a Monarch.
What advice do you want to pass on to future Monarchs?
Responses are collected and stored in a Google Sheet, which is organized by number.
If you would like a copy of the Google Form we send out to our Seniors, or to see a complete copy of the Google Sheet, please email or contact me on social media.
After three seasons, this project is still in its infancy, but has already become one of our player’s favorite traditions. The vision is to record the history of our program in the responses from Seniors each year, affixing their experiences to those already recorded. Then, whenever a jersey number is issued, the history of our program is transferred, and the current athlete inherits the wisdom and experiences of all those who wore that number before. This is their legacy in Monarch Football. How do you want to be remembered?