Desmond Howard Should Have Jersey Retired

Twenty years ago I was just a couples months old, gas was $1.14 a gallon, the Cold War was ending and Desmond Howard was having an incredible season at the University of Michigan. That season Howard caught 62 balls for 985 yards and scored 19 touchdowns to help him win Michigan’s second Heisman Trophy. Now twenty years later, Desmond Howard, deservedly so, has been elected to the College Football Hall-of-Fame.

Howard was among 16 players and 4 coaches elected the hall this year. Other notable inductees include: former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, who coached the Badgers from 1990-2005, and Pat Tillman the Arizona State Linebacker who went on to a career with the Arizona Cardinals before giving up his NFL life to become a soldier until he passed away in action 2004.

Howard had a hall-of-fame college career, setting or tying 5 ncaa and 12 Michigan records, and winning the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Heisman Trophy and first-team All-American honors during the magical 1991 season. So now that Howard has finally been recognized by the NCAA for his achievements it’s time for the University of Michigan to recognize them too. More after the jump.

Howard has done a lot for the University of Michigan. He was there for the close of one of the greatest era’s in Michigan football, the Bo era, and there for the start of a new era under coach Gary Moeller. It can’t be underestimated how important having players like Howard was for a successful transition from a legend to an assistant coach turned head coach. Howard helped assure Michigan fans that even though it would never be the same as it was under Bo, the program would live on and continue to do great things. Howard also created a phenomenon and will forever be immortalized for his iconic Heisman pose.

So with the new Hoke era, and its emphasis on tradition and looking back to the past for cues on how to do things, what better way to honor the past then retire the #21 jersey of the former Michigan great. Under Rich Rod something like this would’ve never happened. But after hearing the news that Athletic Director David Brandon, current coach Brady Hoke and former coach Lloyd Carr were at a golf outing together, I’m hokeful that would do something like this. That combined with David Brandon’s approach to try new things, including looking at a mascot and renovating the stadium, leads me to believe this may happen.

Even Howard himself has been calling for the university to retire it, saying about his jersey being retired “I believe it’s time, without a shadow of a doubt,”. Even though Michigan hasn’t retired a jersey since 1994 and Gerald Ford’s number 48, and has only retired 5 in their history, now is the time for Hoke to prove that he cares about Michigan’s football history and time to retire Howard’s number.