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In February, Dwight Freeney turned 44 years old. Sharing the age of the number that defines SU’s program, one of its greatest players ever has had a miraculous run of enshrinements.

In 2023, Freeney was honored for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame on Nov. 3 at halftime of Syracuse’s home contest against Boston College. Freeney was recently enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class in August, too.

Freeney’s run continued Saturday as the Syracuse legend’s No. 54 was retired at halftime of SU’s game versus Georgia Tech. In four seasons with the Orange, Freeney finished with 34 sacks — the second-most in program history. Now, his number hangs in the rafters of the JMA Wireless Dome.

“For this moment, for that to be up there, representing everything that came before me and being a part of that, all those who supported me, it means the world. It means everything,” Freeney said to the media after the ceremony.

Following his time at SU, Freeney was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 11th pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played in the NFL for 16 seasons, was a First-Team All-Pro three times and won a Super Bowl with Indianapolis in the 2006 season. Yet as Freeney’s jersey was lifted into the rafters Saturday, he was quick to tell the Orange faithful how impactful playing in the then-Carrier Dome was to him.

“To this day, this is the loudest building I’ve ever played in,” Freeney said.

Freeney’s day started on SU’s Shaw Quadrangle, joining the quad walk with Syracuse’s roster and coaching staff. In pregame warmups, Freeney — sporting his Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket — jumped in with the Orange’s defensive line unit.

Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney giving some pointers to the SU defensive line pregame. Freeney is sporting his gold jacket ahead of his No. 54 being retired at halftime today. pic.twitter.com/5XYd0Q0dbN

— Aiden Stepansky (@AidenStepansky) September 7, 2024

Freeney said that he was perched on the sideline watching the defensive line unit warm up when defensive line coach Nick Williams called him over. Freeney’s signature spin move was a staple of his college and pro career. At that moment, Williams asked him to teach and give pointers to the current pass rushers. Freeney was hesitant at first to encroach on Williams’ time, but he decided to step in.

“I just can’t help myself,” Freeney said with a grin. “I just sit there and watch younger guys and I just want to help. If I tell them something, hopefully, it sticks. I’m a defensive lineman, rush man fanatic. That’s in my blood.”

As for the signature spin move, Freeney is now seven years removed from his playing career and hopes to push it on to the next generation of SU pass rushers.

“I can’t use it anymore. So I might as well share it with everyone else and let them do what they do,” Freeney said.

The SU defensive line was improved Saturday, allowing just 112 rushing yards. When asked about Fran Brown and the new era of Syracuse football, Freeney revealed SU’s head coach called him the day after he was hired.

Freeney said it’s apparent Brown wants to get all of the guys of SU’s past involved in the program, helping the next generation. Brown knows that alumni like Freeney are players who current Syracuse players look up to, and is honest about the situations and scenarios he hopes to put past SU players in.

“I don’t know what it’s going to end up being, but I have faith and belief that he has some of those intangibles as a coach that means a lot,” Freeney said. “It goes beyond the X’s and O’s. It’s more about the player in coaching, but the person as well.”

The SU legend hasn’t played in the Dome since 2001, but Saturday signified another step in his enshrinement as one of Syracuse’s best athletes.

“I can’t believe I’m out of college for 20 years. It seems like I blinked and all of a sudden I am,” Freeney said. “When I see former teammates, all the memories of me playing with that guy come back. All the experience that we had. All the times we were like, ‘You know what? We got to push it one more rep.’ When you see those teammates, that’s what happens. It comes back in flux.”

Published on September 7, 2024 at 5:40 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky