No. 44 and the New York Giants Player Who Wore It Best

No. 44 has a long history within the Giants organization, but there's only one clear cut choice on who wore it best.

New York Giants logo | Patricia Traina, New York Giants On SI

The countdown to the start of the New York Giants’ 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 75 days away from the opening kickoff against the Washington Commanders. To count down the days until then, we look at the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Giants.

Who Wore #44 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

DB-RB Keith Beebe (1944), RB Sean Bennett (1999), C Riley Biggs (1926), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (2007-12), RB Maurice Carthon (1984-91), DB Richmond Flowers (1971-73), LB Markus Golden (2019-20), RB Merle Hapes (1942), OG But Hartzog (1928), RB Peyton Hillis (2013), RB Doug Kotar (1874-81), LB Kevin Lewis (2005), DB Tom Longo (1969-70),DB Robert Massey (1997), DB Nick McCloud (2022-24), OT Ed McGee (1940), TE Tony McGee (2003), RB-QB Emery Nix (1943), TE Dan O’Leary (2002), OT Steve Owen (1927), OT Ox Parry (1937-39), S Jason Pinnock (2022), RB Kenyon Rasheed (1993-94), P-QB-DB Frank Reagan (1946-49), WR-RB Kyle Rote (1951), S Pete Shaw (1982-84), OL Ben Sohn (1941), RB Derrick Ward (2004), RB Andre Williams (2014-15).

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

All-American Kyle Rote came to the Giants as a running back, but a serious preseason knee injury cost him some speed and prompted the club to begin using him as a wide receiver – 187 of his 231 career carries came within his first three NFL seasons.

He was football savvy and a precise, elusive route-runner who stuffed the Giants’ record book by the time he retired. A well-respected leader and locker room favorite, many of his teammates bragged that they named their sons after him. Rote appeared in four NFL Championship Games, including a victory in 1956, when he was named second team All-Pro. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl from 1953-56.

The Giants took Rote with the first overall pick out of SMU in the 1951 NFL Draft. It was still a run-oriented league when he was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 1953 – he hauled in 26 passes for 440 yards (16.9 avg.) and five TDs and ran for 213 yards and a TD on 63 carries.

Rote consistently provided the Giants with a lethal deep threat – he averaged 16.0 yards per catch for his career and never less than 14.3 in any season from 1953-61. He finished second in the NFL with eight touchdown receptions in 1955 and third with 10 in 1960.

After 11 seasons as a player, he served as an assistant coach in 1962-63. In addition, Rote was a co-founder of the National Football League Players Association, was the organization’s first president, and later spent more than a decade as an NFL analyst on NBC.

In 2024, Rote was named 24th on the list of the all-time Giants’ Top 100 Players as selected by an independent committee of journalists, NFL/Pro Football Hall of Fame executives, and superfans polled by the team.

Who’s Wearing It Now?

Backup linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles was given No. 44 after signing as a free agent this offseason following five years with San Francisco, making seven starts over 73 appearances. He has collected 37 special teams tackles. He’s also compiled seven special teams stops over nine career postseason appearances.

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