NFL

Colin Cowherd Rips Abdul Carter About Wanting Lawrence Taylor’s Number

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Dan Girolamo
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Dan Girolamo Sports Editor

Dan is a multifaceted content creator who specializes in sports, pop culture, and entertainment. His entertainment work has been featured on Digital Trends, where he has interviewed Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alison Brie, Adam DeVine, Sadie Sink, Chris O'Dowd, Machine Gun Kelly, and Frank Grillo. Dan's entertainment work has also been featured on Coming Soon, Hidden Remote, and WatchMojo. Dan's other passion in life revolves around sports, graduating from Marist College with a degree in Sports Communication and Journalism. From columns about the latest in New York sports to gambling predictions, Dan continues to find success in written and broadcast journalism. Previous written work can be found at Unafraid Show, while broadcast clips can be seen on WAVE.tv and CBS Sports.

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Published05 May 2025

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Colin Cowherd sits behind a mic on The Herd.

Abdul Carter’s request to wear Lawrence Taylor’s iconic No. 56 jersey did not sit well with FS1 host Colin Cowherd.

Colin Cowherd Rips Abdul Carter For Jersey Request

On Monday’s edition of The Herd, Cowherd did not hold back in his criticism of Carter’s request to wear No. 56, a retired number with the New York Giants.

“In life, all you young players, row your own boat. Make your own legacy,” Cowherd said on The Herd. “How about you learn to carry a veteran’s bag before you take his jersey? This screams of entitlement. It screams of lack of self-awareness. Those jerseys are retired.”

Cowherd praised Taylor, calling him the best defensive player in league history and the “greatest New York Giant.”

Despite being “pro young people,” two things about them drive Cowherd nuts: happiness and greatness.

“The second thing that drives me nuts is this idea that nothing was great until you arrived,” Cowherd said. “There’s a reason they built statues for people and retired jerseys because Lawrence Taylor today would walk on the field and easily be the best defensive player in the league.”

Cowherd finished with, “Don’t be asking for retired guys’ jerseys.”

Abdul Carter Also Considered Phil Simms No. 11 Jersey

Carter spoke with Taylor about wearing No. 56. After their meeting, Taylor denied the request and told Carter to “make your own legacy.”

Carter then lobbied former Giants quarterback Phil Simms to unretire his No. 11 number.

“It would be an HONOR,” Carter wrote on social media in response to Simms saying it wouldn’t bother him if the Penn State product wore No. 11.

However, Simms later revealed that his family “outvoted” him on the issue, so No. 11 will stay retired.

Carter still needs to find a number before the season begins.