Latest news with #No.88
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The Story of 88, and whether or not the Cowboys could un-retire legendary jersey numbers
The Story of 88, and whether or not the Cowboys could un-retire legendary jersey numbers The Cowboys don't retire jerseys, but they do hold a few out from distribution. Could that change? Let's pretend for a minute that NFL football will still exist in the Year 2125 and that actual human beings and not avatars are suiting up in uniform to tote the rock across the line of scrimmage. At some point, barring cryogenics and technology of similar ilk, Jerry Jones will no longer be the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. And once that happens, there is going to be a shift in franchise policies and traditions. Perhaps in some iteration of the future, the team that doesn't currently officially retire any jersey decides that the franchise's best players are no longer revered enough to have their numbers removed from circulation. Who would be the first of these numbers handed out? This may be a stretch, but the idea would be that the hallowed numbers would be used in a similar fashion to how No. 88 is currently. Since Drew Pearson's retirement, the No. 88 jersey has become a symbol that signifies a franchise-altering talent at the wide receiver position. Jones didn't believe in this initially. After Pearson retired in 1983, future Hall of Famer Michael Irvin was the first to wear 88 when he was drafted out of the University of Miami in, wait for it, 1988. Irvin actually made the Hall before Pearson, who wasn't inducted until 2021, but the wrong was righted. Irvin didn't wear 88 in college, rather he was No. 47, but he sought permission to wear the number from Pearson and this began the reverence. Jones didn't care much for this at first. After Irvin retired in 1999, the jersey number was given to TE Jackie Harris, a player who never sniffed even a Pro Bowl in his 12-year career. It was then given to WR Antonio Bryant, in 2002, as Jones was now knee-deep in the business if trying to spin the Cowboys out of irrelevance following the crumbling of the dynasty. Bryant's departure in 2004 led to No. 88 being given to tight end Brett Pierce, who caught all of two career passes in 2005 before it was finally placed back in the shelf. That lasted until 2010 when a true heir emerged in Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant. Bryant was a worthy follow-up to Pearson and Irvin's greatness. Though the Cowboys didn't win a championship with Bryant, he was a dominant receiver during his run, setting the Cowboys' franchise record for receiving touchdowns (73). After Bryant's final game with the Cowboys in 2017, no one rocked No. 88 until the team drafted CeeDee Lamb in 2020 and Jones imparted the importance of the number in convincing the Oklahoma product to don the honor. Lamb has served it well, becoming one of the league's top receivers and is well on his way to making his mark in the club's record books. Would the team of the future ever look to follow this model? Currently jersey numbers 8, 12, 22 and 82 are out of rotation for the Cowboys. Those of course belong to QB Troy Aikman, QB Roger Staubach, RB Emmitt Smith and TE Jason Witten. It's too soon to tell if Zack Martin's No. 70 will follow suit after he retired this spring. Tyron Smith's No. 77 sat dormant last season, but is currently given to Saahdiq Charles during the offseason; it remains to be seen if he makes the roster and if so if the number goes with it. So that's four, potentially six jersey numbers that are out of rotation at the moment. Which would be the first worn by someone else? It feels like Witten's 82 would be the most likely to become a tradition. For one, there was a star TE who wore it before him, Frank Clarke during the 1960s. If the club ever took a tight end in the top half of the first round, this could be someone the team wanted to bestow such honors on. Imagine if the Cowboys had been able to draft Georgia's Brock Bowers in 2024; that would have been a pick worthy of starting the new tradition. Running back, in today's game at least, seems much too hard to predict, and as long as Smith holds the all-time rushing record, the franchise wouldn't want to diminish that luster. The quarterback position feels like one where star players drafted highly, which the Cowboys haven't even attempted since grabbing Aikman out of UCLA in 1989 with the No. 1 overall pick, will want to chart their own paths and not live in any shadows or expectations. Perhaps offensive line, if a few years pass before 70 or 77 are used again, would be options for passing of the baton.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Connor Zilisch Sidelined with Lower Back Injury After Talladega Crash
Connor Zilisch will be out of the car at the start of Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway due to a lower back injury suffered from his crash last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Zilisch, 18, was leading on the final lap of Saturday's Ag-Pro 300 when a bump-draft went wrong and hooked his No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro hard left. Zilisch could not stop in time and slammed into the inside wall with a tremendous impact that forced NASCAR to throw the caution, despite him being the only car involved. Zilisch would be credited with a 27th place finish. WeatherTech Chevrolet driver Connor Zilisch walks pit road alongside his No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Zilisch would undergo further evaluations during the week. JR Motorsports then announced that Zilisch sustained a lower back injury and would be declared day to day. With his victory at Circuit of the Americas earlier this year, Zilisch is already locked into the 2025 Playoffs. Because of that, the team decided to choose the safe route and opt him not to race in this weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway, the Andy's Frozen Custard 300. Advertisement 'Kyle Larson will sub for Connor Zilisch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway as Zilisch continues to recover from a lower back injury sustained last weekend at Talladega,' JR Motorsports said in a published statement on Apr. 30. The following day, NASCAR granted Zilisch a waiver for his injury to remain qualified for the Xfinity Playoffs later this year. On Friday, Zilisch met with media to further discuss his situation. 'I feel okay,' Zilisch told Bob Pockrass with Fox Sports. 'A lot of what I'm doing is not up to me. I listen to all the doctors around me and the people around me who have a lot more not only racing experience but also life experience. I've got a lot ahead of me and to rush back in something after a crash like that would be silly, so we're just taking our time with the recovery process. Taking it one day at a time, and I'm feeling better every day. Advertisement 'Thankful for everyone who's been there for me and been willing to give me unbiased answers throughout the process.' His mature answer was followed quickly by a prompt that caught him off guard. When asked about the extent and specifics of his injuries, Zilisch decided to 'plead the fifth.' 'I don't know what I'm allowed to say,' stated Zilisch when asked about the extent of his injuries. 'I cleared all my x-rays at the track, and there was nothing obvious. Everything is very minor, I'll say that. I don't know what to say about what the extent of my injuries are, but I'll probably just plead the fifth and not get myself in trouble. Everything is—there's no crazy big injury that is going to hold me for months. It's going to be day by day.' Advertisement Zilisch sits sixth in the regular season championship standings heading into Texas, 150 points behind championship leader, defending series champion and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier. Zilisch could drop as far as 16th in the overall standings. Related: NASCAR TV and Streaming Schedule for Texas Motor Speedway
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Kyle Larson to replace injured Connor Zilisch (back) for Xfinity race at Texas
Connor Zilisch suffered a lower back injury Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, an injury that will keep him out of the Xfinity Series race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Cup Series driver Kyle Larson will replace Zilisch in the JR Motorsports No. 88 car. Both Larson and Zilisch have won Xfinity races this year. Zilisch, who is sixth in the series point standings, won at Circuit of the Americas. Larson, the 2021 Cup champion and second in the current Cup Series standings, has two starts in the series this year and won in his most recent Xfinity start at Bristol. A Cup driver is allowed a maximum of five races in the Xfinity Series each year. The 18-year-old Zilisch was involved in a late wreck battling for the lead at Talladega, where he tried to block a run by Jesse Love and was turned, sliding head-first into the inside wall. He complained about his back to his team on the in-car radio after the crash but said after exiting the medical center that x-rays were clear. "Just a big hit like that, everything compresses and you feel it," Zilisch said. "I'm all good." Zilisch said he would follow up with his doctors this week, and the team sent out a statement Wednesday night that he would miss Texas. Trackhouse Racing wouldn't comment on the extent of the lower back injury and if he does have any fractures. The Xfinity Series has two weeks off after Texas as it does not run at the upcoming Kansas and North Wilkesboro weekends. Zilisch is scheduled to run both the Xfinity and Cup races during Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte. Zilisch would need a waiver from NASCAR to remain eligible for the playoffs while also missing a race during the regular season. NASCAR routinely grants a waiver for medical conditions. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox Sports
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Kyle Larson to replace injured Connor Zilisch (back) for Xfinity race at Texas
Connor Zilisch suffered a lower back injury Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, an injury that will keep him out of the Xfinity Series race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Cup Series driver Kyle Larson will replace Zilisch in the JR Motorsports No. 88 car. Both Larson and Zilisch have won Xfinity races this year. Zilisch, who is sixth in the series point standings, won at Circuit of the Americas. Larson, the 2021 Cup champion and second in the current Cup Series standings, has two starts in the series this year and won in his most recent Xfinity start at Bristol. A Cup driver is allowed a maximum of five races in the Xfinity Series each year. The 18-year-old Zilisch was involved in a late wreck battling for the lead at Talladega, where he tried to block a run by Jesse Love and was turned, sliding head-first into the inside wall. He complained about his back to his team on the in-car radio after the crash but said after exiting the medical center that x-rays were clear. "Just a big hit like that, everything compresses and you feel it," Zilisch said. "I'm all good." Zilisch said he would follow up with his doctors this week, and the team sent out a statement Wednesday night that he would miss Texas. Trackhouse Racing wouldn't comment on the extent of the lower back injury and if he does have any fractures. The Xfinity Series has two weeks off after Texas as it does not run at the upcoming Kansas and North Wilkesboro weekends. Zilisch is scheduled to run both the Xfinity and Cup races during Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte. Zilisch would need a waiver from NASCAR to remain eligible for the playoffs while also missing a race during the regular season. NASCAR routinely grants a waiver for medical conditions. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. Get more from NASCAR Xfinity Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Newsweek
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Connor Zilisch Addresses Violent Talladega Wreck With Jesse Love - 'Grateful To Be Walking'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Connor Zilisch has addressed the scary wreck with his "best friend" Jesse Love during the NASCAR Xfinity race at Talladega. The JR Motorsports driver was leading the Ag-Pro 300 on the last lap. However, his race was abruptly ruined when he shared contact with Love, which sent him off course. He collided with the barriers nose first as his No. 88 continued to spin across the Talladega Superspeedway. Although he was able to get out of the car unassisted, he indicated that he had hurt his back. Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, gives a thumbs up to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26,... Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, gives a thumbs up to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. MoreHe complained of back pain over the team radio, stating: "Ow ow ow, my back ... ohhhhhh." A replay of the finish at @TALLADEGA.@ConnorZilisch was evaluated and released from the infield care center following the race. — NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 26, 2025 While speaking to the media after being seen at the medical center, the 18-year-old explained: "Yeah, I'm okay. "That's one of the wrecks where you move your legs and make sure everything feels okay afterwards. So, very grateful to drive safe JR Motorsports race cars. "Our WeatherTech Chevrolet was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. We were in the right spot, just, yeah, I haven't really watched it close enough to know what happened. But yeah, grateful to be up and walking." Grateful to walk away from that feeling okay. Thank you for the safe and fast car @JRMotorsports — Connor Zilisch (@ConnorZilisch) April 26, 2025 The two drivers are close friends off the race track. Once Love, who finished the race in third, had completed his media duties, he made his way to the medical center to check on Zilisch. "Yeah, that's great," Zilisch added. "Jesse's probably my best friend in the world, and I'm grateful to have someone like him who can come and stand in front of me, and you know, give me a hug after that." Austin Hill went on to win the NASCAR Xfinity Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega, followed by Jeb Burton in second. NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway results
