Jan. 4, 2008

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Former Southern Miss football great Brett Favre was honored recently by SportsIllustrated.com as the best collegiate player to ever wear the number four.

The picks, which went from No. 1 to No. 99, were based on a combination on impact on the game, statistics and team success during the players' years at the school. The research was done through many college football media guides, as well as archived stories from the Sports Illustrated library and the College Football Hall of Fame's Web site.

The history of college football players wearing numbered jerseys dates back exactly 100 years. In 1908 Washington and Jefferson became the first college to number its football uniforms, according to the book Sports Firsts. However, it discontinued the practice the same year. Numbered football uniforms reappeared at the University of Chicago five years later when coach Amos Alonzo Stagg used them for a November 1913 game against Wisconsin. Alas, the practice did not catch on with most major colleges and universities until the 1920s.

Favre lettered for the Golden Eagles from 1987-90.

Favre Named Top Collegiate Player Ever to Wear No. 4 in College Football