Pick a Number, Radley-Hiles Settles on UW Jersey to Wear

Compromise was met for the Oklahoma newcomer who wore No. 44 for the Sooners.

Dan Raley | Apr 3, 2021

Four days from spring football practice, Oklahoma transfer Brendan Radley-Hiles and the University of Washington football program have came up with a diplomatic solution over what to do about No. 44.

While it's been Radley-Hiles' jersey number throughout his college, it represents a retired number for the Huskies, one of just three. It's off limits.

The cornerback newcomer will wear half of it — 4.

The number was retired in the 1950s for two-way back Roland Kirkby who was honored in this manner because it was felt this respected team leader deserved some sort of accolade after playing in the significant shadows of a pair of first-team Associated Press All-Americans, running back Hugh McElhenny and quarterback Don Heinrich.

No. 44 hasn't been worn since 1950, Kirkby's final season at the UW.

The Huskies avoided any similar conflict with No. 7 by giving it to much ballyhooed freshman quarterback Sam Huard now on campus and wishing grad transfer Kevin Thomson well in his NFL draft preparation.

Thomson wore 7 last season, though he became injured and never played in a game for the UW after transferring in from Sacramento State.

There's no telling what the team would have done over that jersey number had Thomson decided to return for the remaining season of eligibility that was extended to him because of the pandemic.

Other numbers handed out were No. 9, which went to Texas A&M transfer Jeremiah Martin, an edge rusher who wore 15 for the Aggies. Texas Tech newcomer Ja'Lynn Polk is a wide receiver who will shift from 12 to No. 23 for the Huskies.

Former Colorado State quarterback Patrick O'Brien will go from 12 to No. 10 for the UW, pulling on a jersey previously worn by the departed Ethan Garbers last season and the year before by Jacob Eason, now with the Indianapolis Colts.

Three other freshman arriving early on campus are Texas running back Caleb Berry, who will wear No. 25; Eatonville, Washington, tight end Caden Jumper, who's been given No. 49; Kansas junior-college tight end Quentin Moore is a sophomore who has been assigned No. 88; and Hawaii defensive tackle Kuao Peihopa, who will answer to No. 98.

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Published Apr 3, 2021

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.