Sports are about stories. On an NFL roster, each player has a unique story. On the surface, jersey numbers are identifiers. They differentiate one player from the next.
For many players, jersey numbers are a part of their story. For others, the numbers serve as an outlet to tell their stories.
One of the most storied jersey numbers in the history of the Dallas Cowboys franchise is No. 88. Though worn by five players prior, Drew Pearson made the number famous with his established run of success in the 1970s and into the '80s. The next player to wear it was another wide receiver, Michael Irvin, who was even better than the man who put the number on the map. The number hit a few bumps after that -- Brett Pierce, anybody? -- but it returned to prominence with Dez Bryant, who did justice to Pearson and Irvin.
When the Cowboys drafted wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they had high hopes for the kind of player he would become. Nothing illustrated that more than the insistence, particularly from Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, that Lamb become the next No. 88.
"We had to really sell him on No. 88," Jones said. "He had his mind on another number. I finally had to pull rank."
When Lamb came into the league in 2020, wide receivers could wear numbers 10 through 19 and 80 through 89. Lamb planned on wearing No. 10, which would have supplemented Amari Cooper's No. 19 and Michael Gallup's No. 13 at the time. When the rules changed in 2021, allowing receivers to wear 0 to 49, Lamb would have loved to wear No. 2.
"But all of that went out the window," Lamb said.
Lamb was No. 3 in high school and then No. 2 at Oklahoma, together forming No. 32. One of the most influential people in Lamb's life was his late uncle, Chester Ramirez, who was No. 32 on the Air Force football team. Lamb has a silver No. 32 necklace he wears, as well as a tattoo on his wrist of No. 3 and No. 2 together on his wrist.
For some players, the stories behind the jersey numbers run as deep as it does for Lamb, whether it's the personal meaning behind his preferred numbers or the legacy number of the franchise he's donned every week of his NFL career. For others, it really is just a number.
Let's go through the Cowboys' active roster (and then some).
* Indicates on injured reserve
Tolbert previously wore No. 18 because he was No. 8 in college but nobody can have that number in Dallas after Troy Aikman. He took No. 18 because it had an "8" in it. This season, after Jayron Kearse left the team, Tolbert switched to No. 1 after Mike McCarthy offered it to him.
"I knew I wanted to be single digits," Tolbert said. "That's what I was in college and high school. Kind of connected with me to get No. 1 because it's one of the things I try to live by. Going out and getting one percent better."
Lewis wore No. 2 in Little League. When he was at Michigan, he wasn't allowed to wear it, out of respect for Charles Woodson. When it came open in Dallas, Lewis made the switch from No. 27 and No. 26.
"I had a couple choices and I thought to myself, my faith is my foundation, so the Holy Trinity, the Father, son and Holy Spirit," Cooks said. "For me, that's what it means to me."
"My mom's birthday, Sept. 4," Prescott said. "When I was drafted, they gave me No. 10. I wanted a single digit but I also wanted a number that had a little bit of meaning since I wore No. 6 in high school and No. 15 in college (Tim Tebow fan)."
No significance. Anger grew up wearing No. 13 in soccer and wore No. 21 in high school for football, which was also his older brother's number.
"I wore it in college," Wilson said. "No reason but once I got to the league, I was drafted in the sixth round so that put a little weight to it."
"That (No. 27) was too big," Diggs said of the first NFL jersey number. When Diggs had the opportunity to take a single-digit number, he switched to No. 7, a number he says has always been his favorite and the one he wore in high school and college.
No significance. Growing up a Tracy McGrady fan, Turpin loved No. 1. He also liked No. 4, his high school number, as a symbol of being the oldest of four kids.
"It was my college number," Rush said. "I was a big Notre Dame fan growing up and Brady Quinn was No. 10."
Parsons wore No. 11 at Penn State. When he entered the league in 2021, it was the first year the NFL expanded the allowance for linebackers to wear numbers below No. 40 so Parsons was able to keep 11.
Overshown wanted No. 0, his number at Texas, but Jerry Jones did not allow it. Overshown settled for No. 13. His birthday is Aug. 13 and his son's is Sept. 13.
"I've always been told that's my lucky number," Overshown said.
No significance. "I was just ready to get out of 41," Bell said. "Just a quick switch-around, 4-1 to 1-4."
After being No. 21 his entire NFL career, Elliott reverted to the number he wore at Ohio State. At that time, he had to choose between No. 29 and No. 15. He opted for the latter. He grew up wearing No. 2.
No real significance. If Aubrey could pick any number, it would be No. 10.
"That was my number in college," Aubrey said. "It was my number in the USFL. Just something I've been comfortable with. As a soccer player, getting 10 is a privilege. It's usually given to one of your better players. ... If the opportunity ever comes up, that's what number I'd pick."
Clark wore No. 18 at LSU.
Lance wore No. 15 in his first year with the Cowboys. With Elliott coming back to Dallas and wanting No. 15, Lance switched to No. 19. Although he didn't ask anything of Elliott, the running back gifted Lance a watch for the switch.
Despite people on the outside making a bigger deal of Carson wearing No. 21 as a cornerback in Dallas, he doesn't have a Deion Sanders connection. Carson wore No. 3 growing up and then No. 4 in high school, which was a legacy number that was passed down at his school.
No. 23 was Dowdle's first college number, before he switched to No. 5.
"It's just been my number since I was little," Dowdle said. "I got that from Reggie Bush. I've been 5 my whole life." Anger had No. 5 so Dowdle went with his first college number.
"There are six people in my immediate family and two plus four equals six," Mukuamu said. "I play for my parents and my four brothers."
No significance. "I would wear my high school number, No. 8, but you know that's not happening," Bland said. "I wore that in high school and my older brother wore it. I'm kind of fine with 26, I kind of like it."
No significance. "I'm not a number guy," Hooker said. "I feel like the player makes the number."
No significance. "That was my first number in Atlanta and it just followed me," Goodwin said. "I grew up a Cowboys fan and loved Emmitt Smith. Every sport I was No. 22. Big Emmitt Smith fan."
"Last year, I was No. 40. I told myself, whenever I felt like I go up or I feel confident enough where I elevate my game, I'll go down 10," Thomas said. "No. 30 opened up so I was like, I'm going to get it. I think No. 30 is the number I'm going to keep."
Liufau wore No. 35 his freshman year at Notre Dame.
"It was kind of like full circle, kind of going back to where I started in college," Liufau said. "It was like I got to earn my stripes again before I changed to 8 in college."
"That was my college coach's (Tyler Roehl) number in the NFL and in college, too," Luepke said. "He really means a lot to me and my development in football. ... Pretty special number for him, and for me, too."
Vigil has worn No. 59 throughout his NFL career but it was taken when he arrived in Dallas so he opted for No. 41, which he also wore at Utah State.
There were two numbers available, 37 and 42. "I wanted to keep a two in my number," Vaughn said. "After wearing it in the preseason, it kind of grew on me." He'd love to have 22. "That's been my number since I was a little kid, but of course, Emmitt Smith's got that," he said. "That's his number. He's one of the best football players, not just running back, to ever play this game."
"My dad wore it way back in the day so I wore it growing up," Sieg said. "When I first broke into the league, No. 44 was already taken so I took No. 47. Then, coming over here, No. 47 was taken and No. 44 was available. I know my dad was excited about it. He's got a picture of me in middle school when he was coaching my team and I was wearing No. 44."
Kendricks initially looked for Nos. 6 and 54, which were taken. He recalled his draft visit to the Cowboys in 2015 and seeing Sean Lee in No. 50, so he chose that. No. 6 was Kendricks' number in high school and college.
No significance. Williams is a fan of No. 90, his high school number, but that was not available. He also wore No. 13 in college in honor of Shaquille Johnson, a close friend who Williams viewed as an older brother. Johnson, who wore that number, was killed in 2018.
The slogan for the 2024 Cowboys is "Rooted." Lawson, who wore No. 58 in his previous NFL stops, chose to go back to No. 55 because "that was my college number. I just wanted to get back to my roots, seeing as the team (slogan) is 'Rooted.' "
The last time Beebe played center was in Little League, and he wore No. 56.
"When they asked me about the available numbers, and I knew I was going to play center, I knew I had to go back to it," Beebe said. "It comes full circle now and go back to my roots."
Johnson's preferred number is 5. He grew up wearing No. 5 and chose No. 7 in college at Texas A&M before switching to No. 1.
Smith is a Von Miller fan.
When Guyton went to TCU, there was a previous Horned Frogs offensive lineman (Nate Guyton) who wore No. 60. Tyler never interacted with Nate but since TCU already had the jersey with his name printed, Tyler decided to wear it and has stuck with it since.
"That's really where it all started," Guyton said. "Going to TCU. The whole journey really means a lot to me, that I'm here, still representing the same number."
No significance. "I've never really cared too much about numbers, especially as an offensive lineman," Bass said. "They're all kind of the same."
"My main number is No. 76 so it's just flipped," Hoffman said. "I always wore No. 76 in high school and college. No. 67 was available last year and I just kept it."
"I wore No. 70 in college and my dad, Keith Martin, wore No. 70 in college at Kentucky," Martin said. "When I got here, I was actually given No. 71 and then after a few weeks, No. 70 opened up."
No significance. "I wore it last year when I wore it in Atlanta and I guess they just gave it to me when I came here," Edoga said.
"Obviously, it was Larry Allen's number (in Dallas)," Smith said. "That was a huge part of it. Little known tidbit, it was actually one of my close teammates, Dylan Couch's number. He was like one of my older brothers when I went to college. ... It all ties in."
Growing up, Waletzko always wore No. 76, the number his dad wore.
Flournoy didn't have a choice but is happy to wear No. 80 because of receivers like Jerry Rice and Cris Carter.
He didn't have a choice. It was given to him by the team. "I was just happy to be in a new situation. I was just trying to get a fresh start. I'll worry about my number next year. I'm trying to get in and make some plays. That's all I'm worried about."
"I do like always having a 3 in my numbers somewhere because I'm a big believer in faith, family and football," Brooks said. "That's just something behind my three reasons."
Schoonmaker wore No. 86 at Michigan.
"I switched a lot in high school so No. 86 is my thing now," Schoonmaker said.
"I've always had a No. 8 in my number, ever since I've grown up," Ferguson said. "I was No. 98 one year. I was No. 48, No. 38 and then in high school I was just No. 8, and then No. 84 in college. I've always had an 8 in my number. They gave me No. 87 and I was good with it."
Spann-Ford had the option between No. 85 and No. 89. He chose the latter as a tribute to former Cowboys tight end Peyton Hendershot.
"I kind of looked up to how he played," Spann-Ford said. "I followed him in college, so getting to know him and meet him, kind of have him as a brother now has been cool. It felt right to put on 89."
"That's the number the Cowboys gave me when I was drafted -- never thought about changing it."
No significance. Wheat was a running back when he was younger and liked No. 25 because of Reggie Bush.
It was the number given to him by the team when he signed in mid-September.
There's no significance behind No. 93 for Joseph but he wore No. 98 for much of his NFL career because that was the year he moved from the Virgin Islands to Florida.
He wore No. 94 for most of his college career and the Cowboys wanted to give it to him.
No significance. Odighizuwa, a Michael Strahan fan, wore No. 92 in high school and college.
No significance. "I never really liked 59, which is what I had my rookie year," Gholston said. "No. 99 became open my second year and I felt that was more me than No. 59 was."