He's No. 1! Malik Nabers's Jersey Number Revealed

The Giants unretired jersey No. 1 last worn by Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty, with the blessing of Flaherty's family to give to their 2024 first-round draft pick.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers poses after being selected by the New York Giants as the No. 6 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers is the Giants first-round draft pick and their projected No. 1 receiver for the foreseeable future.

So it was only fitting that the former LSU product be assigned jersey No 1, right?

Yes, but it came with a caveat. The jersey number had been retired in honor of Ray Flaherty, a member of the Giants franchise in 1929 and 1931-1935 where he was first an end before retiring and becoming a coach after his Giants career ended.

With permission from the family of Giants legend Ray Flaherty, Malik Nabers will wear No. 1.

Flaherty's number was the first to be retired in Pro Football History. #Giants100 pic.twitter.com/9I5BKSkIVK

— New York Giants (@Giants) August 28, 2024

As a player, Flaherty racked up 41 receptions for 626 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was part of the Giants NFL championship team in 1934 and was a seven-time first-team All Pro in 1926-1929 and 1932-1934.

Flaherty also was the NFL receptions leader, receiving yards leader and receiving touchdowns leader in 1932 with the Giants and became the first professional football player to have his number taken out of circulation, occurring at the end of the 1935 season, his last with the Giants.

Flaherty, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1976 and named No. 50 on the Giants' top 100 players in franchise history, finished with a coaching record of 80-37-5. He passed away on July 19, 1994, but his family granted the Giants organization their blessing to unretire the number to give to Nabers, whom they hope will have just as successful if not more so, an NFL career for the franchise. 

“Thank you to the Flaherty family for allowing me to wear Number 1 for the New York Giants,” said Nabers, who wore No. 9 throughout the spring and summer. “I understand the responsibility, and I will do everything in my power to honor the Flaherty family and this organization. I will wear the number with great pride. Can’t wait for the season to start.”

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