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DisplacedBlueDevil
11-22-2008, 10:18 PM
Can anyone explain why Cherokee wore 44 in the early '90's and now it hangs from the rafters in tribute to my all-time favorite player, Jeff Mullins, who played in the early 1960's? Did anyone wear it between Jeff and Cherokee?

Thanks in advance.

biscuit30
11-22-2008, 10:25 PM
It was retired after Cherokee Parks was done at Duke.

tbyers11
11-22-2008, 10:26 PM
Can anyone explain why Cherokee wore 44 in the early '90's and now it hangs from the rafters in tribute to my all-time favorite player, Jeff Mullins, who played in the early 1960's? Did anyone wear it between Jeff and Cherokee?

Thanks in advance.

Mullins' number wasn't retired until sometime in the early 90's (the 1994 season IIRC). This was due to an administration policy from the 60's-80's (I forget the names and details) that was very much against retiring any numbers except for Dick Groat.

Basically, when the administration (at the time) decided to retire Mullins' number Cherokee was currently wearing it. Cherokee wore it for the rest of his career and it was permanently retired after that.

Duvall
11-22-2008, 10:35 PM
Mullins' number wasn't retired until sometime in the early 90's (the 1994 season IIRC). This was due to an administration policy from the 60's-80's (I forget the names and details) that was very much against retiring any numbers except for Dick Groat.

Basically, when the administration (at the time) decided to retire Mullins' number Cherokee was currently wearing it. Cherokee wore it for the rest of his career and it was permanently retired after that.

December 1994, during Parks' senior season. The GW game, as I recall.

Olympic Fan
11-23-2008, 12:16 AM
Some weird stuff about that retirement.

The administrator who didn't want to retire any numbers after Groat's No. 10 was athletic director Eddie Cameron. He would not let Bubas retire either Heyman's No. 25 nor Mullins' No. 44.

By the time Bill Foster wanted to retire Mike Gminski's No. 43, Cameron was gone and AD Tom Butters was open to the idea. He also let Coach K call the retirement of Johnny Dawkins' 24 in 1986 and Ferry's 35 in 1989.

A lot of fans wondered why Gminski, Dawkins and Ferry were honored and not the Bubas greats. Coach K heard some of the complaints and contacted Coach Bubas to see what had gone on in the 60s. When he heard the story, he decided that Duke should honor its past greats. He arranged for Heyman's No. 25 to be retired on Mar. 4, 1990.

Gary Melchionni, Mark Crow, Greg Wendt and Thomas Hill all wore No. 25 AFTER Heyman. Thomas Hill was wearing it when it was retired -- he switched to No. 12 for the last three years of his career.

The Mullins retirement was Dec. 6, 1994 ... Interesting that Duke was playing George Washington that night. Mullins was coaching UNC Charlotte at the time and since Charlotte and GW were in the same conference and had future games against each other, Mullins wasn't allowed (by NCAA rules at the time) to see any of the game. He sat in an office and watched the game on TV, coming out for pregame and halftime ceremonies.

No. 44 was worn by Pete Kramer, Scott Goetsch, Todd Anderson, Phil Henderson and by Cherokee after Mullins.

All that is not so odd ... the Yankees retired Gehrig's No. 4 when he got sick in 1939, so no other Yankee ever wore than number. But when Ruth moved on to the Boston Braves in 1935, the Yankees assigned his No. 3 to Canadian outfielder George "Twinkletoes" Selkirk, who wore Ruth's number until it was retired soon after Gehrig's No. 4.

Devil in the Blue Dress
11-23-2008, 12:35 AM
Some weird stuff about that retirement.

The administrator who didn't want to retire any numbers after Groat's No. 10 was athletic director Eddie Cameron. He would not let Bubas retire either Heyman's No. 25 nor Mullins' No. 44.

By the time Bill Foster wanted to retire Mike Gminski's No. 43, Cameron was gone and AD Tom Butters was open to the idea. He also let Coach K call the retirement of Johnny Dawkins' 24 in 1986 and Ferry's 35 in 1989.

A lot of fans wondered why Gminski, Dawkins and Ferry were honored and not the Bubas greats. Coach K heard some of the complaints and contacted Coach Bubas to see what had gone on in the 60s. When he heard the story, he decided that Duke should honor its past greats. He arranged for Heyman's No. 25 to be retired on Mar. 4, 1990.

Gary Melchionni, Mark Crow, Greg Wendt and Thomas Hill all wore No. 25 AFTER Heyman. Thomas Hill was wearing it when it was retired -- he switched to No. 12 for the last three years of his career.

The Mullins retirement was Dec. 6, 1994 ... Interesting that Duke was playing George Washington that night. Mullins was coaching UNC Charlotte at the time and since Charlotte and GW were in the same conference and had future games against each other, Mullins wasn't allowed (by NCAA rules at the time) to see any of the game. He sat in an office and watched the game on TV, coming out for pregame and halftime ceremonies.

No. 44 was worn by Pete Kramer, Scott Goetsch, Todd Anderson, Phil Henderson and by Cherokee after Mullins.

All that is not so odd ... the Yankees retired Gehrig's No. 4 when he got sick in 1939, so no other Yankee ever wore than number. But when Ruth moved on to the Boston Braves in 1935, the Yankees assigned his No. 3 to Canadian outfielder George "Twinkletoes" Selkirk, who wore Ruth's number until it was retired soon after Gehrig's No. 4.
Good rendition of what happened..... certainly brings back some memories of events in the past!

DisplacedBlueDevil
11-23-2008, 09:00 PM
Tremendous insight!! I feel like I should pay you for that response!!!


Some weird stuff about that retirement.

The administrator who didn't want to retire any numbers after Groat's No. 10 was athletic director Eddie Cameron. He would not let Bubas retire either Heyman's No. 25 nor Mullins' No. 44.

By the time Bill Foster wanted to retire Mike Gminski's No. 43, Cameron was gone and AD Tom Butters was open to the idea. He also let Coach K call the retirement of Johnny Dawkins' 24 in 1986 and Ferry's 35 in 1989.

A lot of fans wondered why Gminski, Dawkins and Ferry were honored and not the Bubas greats. Coach K heard some of the complaints and contacted Coach Bubas to see what had gone on in the 60s. When he heard the story, he decided that Duke should honor its past greats. He arranged for Heyman's No. 25 to be retired on Mar. 4, 1990.

Gary Melchionni, Mark Crow, Greg Wendt and Thomas Hill all wore No. 25 AFTER Heyman. Thomas Hill was wearing it when it was retired -- he switched to No. 12 for the last three years of his career.

The Mullins retirement was Dec. 6, 1994 ... Interesting that Duke was playing George Washington that night. Mullins was coaching UNC Charlotte at the time and since Charlotte and GW were in the same conference and had future games against each other, Mullins wasn't allowed (by NCAA rules at the time) to see any of the game. He sat in an office and watched the game on TV, coming out for pregame and halftime ceremonies.

No. 44 was worn by Pete Kramer, Scott Goetsch, Todd Anderson, Phil Henderson and by Cherokee after Mullins.

All that is not so odd ... the Yankees retired Gehrig's No. 4 when he got sick in 1939, so no other Yankee ever wore than number. But when Ruth moved on to the Boston Braves in 1935, the Yankees assigned his No. 3 to Canadian outfielder George "Twinkletoes" Selkirk, who wore Ruth's number until it was retired soon after Gehrig's No. 4.

summerwind03
11-24-2008, 09:22 AM
That was fascinating -- thanks!

sagegrouse
11-24-2008, 09:40 AM
I was at the retirement ceremony early IIRC in the 1994-95 season. Cherokee was a senior and (obviously) proudly wearing number 44. In his acceptance speech, Jeff said "Cherokee has a lot more playing to do wearing this number."

sagegrouse

Highlander
11-24-2008, 01:30 PM
Makes for a good trivia question -
"Who were the last players at Duke to wear #25 and #44?"

Answer: Thomas Hill and Cherokee Parks, respectively

Log that one with the one about "Has the Rose Bowl ever been played out of Pasadena?" and "Has a football team ever gone unbeaten, untied, and un-scored upon for an entire season?"