The Dallas Cowboys don't take assigning players' jersey numbers lightly. For rookie Tight End Jake Ferguson, wearing the number 48 comes with special meaning as he hopes to prove as valuable to the team as Daryl “Moose” Johnston was in the 90s.
While the Cowboys have never officially retired any numbers, some have been taken out of circulation such as Troy Aikman's #8, Emmitt Smith's #22, and Roger Staubach's #12. Nobody has worn those hallowed numbers since their famous owners.
Other numbers have been used to establish a different kind of legacy. The best example of this is number 88, handed to the likes of Antonio Bryant, Dez Bryant, and CeeDee Lamb with significance and the hope that they would live up to the greatness of Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson. We also saw this attempted with #94 and the hand down from DeMarcus Ware to Randy Gregory.
And then sometimes, such as has unfortunately happened with Darren Woodson's #28, the numbers just get tossed around without much care at all.
Back in the 90s, the #48 was worn by one of the greatest fullbacks in NFL history. Daryl Johnston was the lead blocker for the league's all-time leading rusher. Moose did the dirty work to make the players around him better and push Dallas' offense to legendary heights.
While Jake Ferguson will be playing tight end for the 2022 Cowboys, the goal of being as valuable as Johnston to his team is a worthy one. And despite almost a 30-year gap from Moose's playing days, the significance of the number isn't lost on the rookie.
Back in May, Dallas' newest TE spoke about wearing Johnston's number and even a warning he received from his family.
“He [Ferguson's grandfather] actually texted me and was like, ‘You better not be throwing shade on 48.”
“Moose and 48… Some guys are like, ‘Oh, he's (wearing) 48.' I'm like, ‘You guys don't know who wore 48.'”
It remains to be seen if the Cowboys will carry a true fullback on the 2022 roster. They do have some candidates in Ryan Nall and Nick Ralston who have reasonable shots at making the team. But in the past, we have seen where Dallas has instead used their tight ends as lead blockers out of the backfield.
Jake Ferguson's actual role and place on the depth chart this year remains to be seen. We know Dalton Schultz is back on the franchise tag and there are veterans Sean McKeon and Jeremy Sprinkle to battle for playing time.
But hopes are high for the 4th-round pick out of Wisconsin, seen as a good value with a well-balanced game to contribute to any offense. If he can immediately help in some understated ways, Ferguson will go a long way to living up to the legacy of number 48.
