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Abdul Carter Gets an Earful From Stephen A. Smith Over Lawrence Taylor's Number

Carter showed interest in wearing No. 56 with the New York Giants. And the NFL media responded.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected third overall by the New York Giants during the f2025 NFL Draft.
Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected third overall by the New York Giants during the f2025 NFL Draft. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Former Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter caused a minor stir after the NFL Draft by suggesting that he would be interested in wearing jersey No. 56 for the New York Giants. That's the retired number of former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player in NFL history.

Taylor politely said no, telling Steve Serby of the New York Daily News that Carter should forge his own path. Carter politely responded with a thanks and goat emoji on X, and everyone got home fine.

Then came Monday's edition of "First Take" on ESPN, and host Molly Qerim's question of Stephen A. Smith. "Stephen A, you have a problem with Abdul Carter asking to wear LT's number?"

"Of course I do," Smith responded. And he was off.

"Abdul Carter I'm quite sure is going to be sensational on the NFL level, because we've seen his game in college. We respect him," Smith said. "But he's starting off his NFL career as maybe the most ignorant draft pick in history."

Smith wasn't finished, listing the breadth of Taylor's accomplishments with the Giants and then turning again toward Carter.

"This is LT," Smith said. "And before you play an NFL game, before you take an NFL snap, you're asking to wear that number? That is shameful. Shameful."

Carter, a consensus All-American and the Big Ten defensive player of the year, wore No. 11 at Penn State, an iconic number for the program. He mentioned the No. 56 during an appearance on Micah Parsons' Bleacher Report show when discussing their shared experience with that number for the Nittany Lions.

Ultimately no harm beyond some media yelling resulted from Carter's "number in mind." In fact, Carter was quite respectful when asked about Taylor during his media availability at Giants headquarters the day after getting drafted at No. 3 overall.

"I haven't met him yet, but I feel like eventually I will," Carter said of Taylor. "But he's the greatest football [player] of all time, somebody I look up to. Just want to follow in his footsteps, knowing how great he was. I just want to chase greatness, and knowing that he was the best, that's what I want to chase. But I didn't say it like, 'I want to be better than Lawrence Taylor.' That's more me looking up to him, inspired to be like him."

So what number will Carter wear for the Giants? He might have a difficult time bringing No. 11 with him to New York. That's also retired, worn by former quarterback Phil Simms, who led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XXI.

"We're still in the process of that," Carter said, when asked about his jersey number. "We'll see what happens."

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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