Syracuse football legend Jim Brown told the Rich Eisen Show that he never gave his blessing in restoring the No. 44 to the SU football program.

When the number was restored on May 19 during the Plaza 44 groundbreaking, interim director of athletics Pete Sala said that he had the blessing of Jim Brown in making that decision.

“(Floyd Little and I) had a long conversation with (Brown). He was so supportive of the idea,” Sala said on May 19.

But Brown directly refuted those comments on Thursday afternoon, saying “I didn’t exactly endorse it. I just didn’t complain. That’s a different thing.”

Brown, along with Little and Ernie Davis are three of the most well known SU football athletes to have donned the No. 44, which was first retired by the school in November 2005.

After the restoration on May 19, a confusing statement was passed along to the Post-Standard from senior vice president for public affairs Kevin Quinn, who said that the May 19 announcement was “simply a reiteration of that commitment and another opportunity to celebrate the great accomplishments of those who have worn the number with Syracuse pride and honor.”