OCTOBER 2017 13
EARNED
,
NOT GIVEN
BY BRAD FRANKLIN
I
T'S PRETTY STANDARD for student-ath-
letes across the country to arrive at school
during the summer and begin their football
careers by enrolling in classes and getting
started on their workout plans. Many recruits
turned players have an idea of what that process
will entail, especially when it comes to choosing
the number they'll wear during their career.
But at UVA, much like the way Bronco Mendenhall's
program is unique in how it views redshirting and qualify-
ing for practice, there is also a specific way that players
go about earning their numbers.
Choice is only part of the equation.
When Mendenhall and his staff arrived in Charlot-
tesville in the winter of 2015, they knew they had quite
a rebuilding job on their hands. They began by drilling
There's A Lot
That Goes Into
Choosing A Jersey
Number At UVA
Fourth-year linebacker and captain Micah Kiser was part of the
committee of team leaders that decided upon the order UVA
players were able to pick their jersey numbers. Kiser's peers
tabbed him with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, and he opted
to stay with the No. 53 he donned last year.
PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA
