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2013 college football: 17 odds and ends you might have missed

5. Who’s No. 1? Hanrahan, that’s who.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Tim Hanrahan, a junior running back, has been selected to wear Northwestern University's jersey No. 1 during the 2013 season.

  • By Ross Atkin Staff writer

Although not a long tradition, Northwestern University’s selection of an exceptionally dedicated and team-oriented player to wear uniform No. 1 has become a special honor since head coach Pat Fitzgerald introduced it in 2011.  As he puts it, No. 1 in college football is usually worn by a  flashy player, but at Northwestern it’s used to recognize “a young man who embodies the best of values we look for in a Wildcat.”

The first player so honored, 290-pound walk-on lineman Bo Cisek, played primarily on special teams, including as a punt protector. Now that Cisek has graduated, the No. 1 jersey has been awarded to junior running back Tim Hanrahan, a chemical engineering major who rushed for only 31 yards on eight carries last year as a reserve tailback, but was an enthusiastic special teams player. 

Fitzgerald and his 10 full-time assistant coaches select who wears the No. 1.

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Mark Sappenfield
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