Get To Know The University Of Michigan’s Retired Football Numbers

A jersey retirement is one of the highest honors a sports program can give out. The Michigan football team has retired six jerseys of eight players, ensuring that their legacy remains lauded throughout the rest of the program's history. Here are the six numbers and eight players.

Francis, Albert, and Alvin Wistert were three brothers who played tackle for Michigan over the course of two decades. Francis played from 1931-1933, Albert from 1940-1942, and Alvin from 1947-1949. Official individual statistics were not kept prior to 1949, so the brothers' statistics aren't verifiable. Beyond statistics, however, all three brothers were All-Americans during their tenure, a nod to their play on the field. All three brothers wore No. 11, and the number was retired in 1949.

Michigan football's second-ever Heisman Trophy winner, Desmond Howard, is one of the Wolverines' all-time greats. He finished his career as the third all-time receiving touchdown leader with 30, tallying the program record of 19 in a single season. Alongside his prolific receiving stats, Howard was one of the most feared kickoff and punt returners in the country. The number 21 was retired in 2015. He would also go on to win the Super Bowl XXXI MVP playing for the Green Bay Packers.

Bennie Oosterbaan (1925-1927) is one of the best all-around athletes to ever don the maize and blue. Not only was he a three-time All-American in football, but also a two-time All-American in basketball and led the Big Ten in batting average in baseball during the 1927 season. After his playing days, he became a coach for the Wolverines, leading them to a national championship in 1948.

Certainly more well-known for being the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford was also quite the player on the gridiron. He was part of the national championship squads in 1932 and 1933, playing mostly center on offense and linebacker on defense. In 1934, his final year with the Wolverines, he was named the team's MVP. Forty years later, Ford entered the Oval Office to take his first shift as President. His number, 47, was retired in 1994.

Kramer played many positions for Michigan from 1954 to 1956. He played on both offense and defense as an end, but he took several reps at receiver. He tallied 880 yards and six touchdowns through the air over his three-year career. Kramer also took on kicking duties, making 43 extra points and two field goals. Like Oosterbaan, Kramer's head coach at the time, Kramer was a three-sport athlete for the Wolverines. Outside of football, he also competed in basketball, leading the team in scoring twice, and track. Kramer's number 87 was retired immediately upon his departure in 1956.

In 1940, Tom Harmon became the first Michigan player to win the Heisman Trophy, and only the sixth ever, as the award began in 1935. Harmon did everything on offense for the Wolverines. He was the lead rusher, tallying more than 2,000 yards on the ground, but he also took snaps at quarterback, throwing for more than 1,000 more. He also served as the kicker, nailing 15 extra points and one field goal in his 1939 season. Like Kramer, his number 98 was also retired upon completion of his final game in 1940.

Sixty-one years span between the end of Oosterbaan's tenure and Howard's, but the contributions of all these players tie them together. These players have shaped Michigan football into the program it is today, and allow for the players of the present to continue the legacy they began.