Broncos RB Montee Ball Changes Jersey Number

November 24, 2012; University Park, PA, USA;A view of the back of Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) during the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

In a (not so) stunning development, Denver Broncos rookie Montee Ball has ditched his no. 38 tribute to former Denver Broncos running back Mike Anderson and switched to his old college number–28.

Ball made a trade with safety Quinton Carter, who is on injured reserve and will now wear no.38.

Ball wore the number 28 in his collegiate days at Wisconsin, and hopefully that will bring some positive karma his way. He scored just a hair under 1,000 touchdowns wearing that number as a member of the Badgers (only kidding), so I guess whatever works, make it happen.

Carter has been in the league since 2011, and has been a starter for the Broncos, so 28 probably cost Ball a pretty penny. Sometimes players get really creative with switching jersey numbers, and sometimes other players don’t care. Carter would be wise to at least fake like he cared, so he can get his money’s worth out of the rookie running back.

In addition to Ball, fellow rookie running back C.J. Anderson–who is currently injured–took over the jersey number (22) vacated by recently released Jacob Hester. Anderson wore number 39 in the months leading up, and was recently polling his Twitter followers as to whether he should switch to no. 29 or stick with 39.

He only had to wait another day, and he got number 22, which has been worn by another unheralded Broncos rookie phenom–here’s a blast from the past–Olandis Gary.