After being selected No. 3 overall by the New York Giants, defensive end Abdul Carter saw himself be denied by not just one but two Pro Football Hall of Famers when he asked to have their numbers unretired for him to wear. Giants legends Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms each had their respective No. 56 and No. 11 retired by the team after winning two Super Bowls together.
Since that early controversy, Carter decided to get unique with his eventual number choice and combine Lawrence and Simms' numbers. He's now wearing No. 51, a classic linebacker number that he can make his own, perhaps taking Taylor's advice and the suggestion of a popular NFL analyst.
But it may not be permanent. Rookies select numbers for their respective team's rookie camp upon arriving at the facility and can change them to another available number (or swap with another player) before full training camp.
Abdul Carter needs to time to "grow" into new Giants number
In his first media availability after practicing with the team for the first time on Friday, Carter told reporters he's still getting used to his brand new identifier.
Abdul Carter says he is "pretty much set" on wearing number 51 with the Giants
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 9, 2025
"It's going to have to grow on me a little bit...it's pretty much what we had available, it's a good number" pic.twitter.com/apxuifnLcx
"It's going to have to grow on me a little bit," he said. "It's pretty much what we had available, it's a good number."
Despite that early assessment, Carter added "it's pretty much set" that he'll stick with No. 51 instead of swapping it out ahead of the season. "I'm just happy to be out here playing football."
Taylor told Carter to pick an original number and get it retired by being great on the football field, and that's exactly what the 21-year-old edge rusher plans on doing.
"I want to be great at everything I do," he told reporters. "Being here, I want to strive for greatness."
He'll have some pretty high expectations to meet from Week 1. He'll likely slot in opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux with nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II sandwiched between them. That could be a deadly combination for the New York defense in a season where it'll need all the help it can get trying to win more than six games for just the second time in the last nine seasons.