After being inducted into Canton earlier this month, Syracuse Athletics announced that legendary defensive lineman Dwight Freeney will have his jersey retired into the rafters of the JMA Wireless Dome. The announcement was a long time coming, but it left a lot of fans wondering when they should purchase tickets to watch this ceremony (they should be packing the Dome either way with the Fran Brown buzz.) Well, that date has officially been released.
On Friday, it was announced that Dwight Freeney’s number will be retired on Saturday, September 7th against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Freeney is often considered one of the greatest defensive players to emerge from SU. In 2001, he set a school record with 17.5 sacks, earning him Big East Defensive Player of the Year and All-American honors. During his 16-year NFL career, he won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts and accumulated 125.5 sacks (18th-most in history) along with 47 forced fumbles (3rd-most all-time).
The matchup with Georgia Tech in Week 2 is becoming more and more important by the day. Not only is it Fran Brown’s first test against an ACC opponent, but GT has become a strong opponent for the Orange. The Yellow Jackets took down #10 Florida State yesterday over in Dublin, solidifying themselves as a possible conference contender. Orange fans should and need to pack the Dome for this one, as it could be the first moment for the college football world to see Syracuse as the real deal with its new-look roster.
SU however can’t overlook its week one matchup, coming up this Saturday against Ohio. The Bobcats won 10 games last season and are consistent contenders in the MAC. Sparks will fly for Syracuse football as a new era is ushered in Saturday at 3:30.
