Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, July 30, 2013
Future Big Ten member Rutgers is retiring its first football jersey number. On Sept. 14, the Scarlet Knights will retire Eric LeGrand's No. 52 at High Point Solutions Stadium. LeGrand, a former defensive tackle, was paralyzed when he broke two vertebrae while making a tackle on a kickoff return in an October 2010 game.
[ AP: Rutgers to retire LeGrand's No. 52 ]
What an honor thank you @RFootball this means the world to me pic.twitter.com/k0T15iS82h
— Eric LeGrand (@EricLeGrand52) July 30, 2013
LeGrand's number marks the first to be retired in Rutgers' 144 years. It won't remain retired forever, though, as Rutgers plans to unretire it when LeGrand walks again.
LeGrand was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coached by former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, as an undrafted free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft.
Rutgers, along with Maryland, joins the Big Ten in 2014.
