and this is how things spiral without a set criteria
Let me ask this question(I probably know the answer already, but I just want to see if there is a consensus)
If a former Vol player dies in combat in any war, should his number be automatically retired, regardless of whether he played or not?
Of course that will also apply to Fulmer. It also has kept Cafego and Suffridge from having numbers retired. Both of them also had professional careers disrupted by military service in WW2. Either of them should have numbers retired before Majors, Wilson, or others mentioned in this thread.You've gotta wonder if the strict NFL requirements weren't put in there specifically to keep Johnny Majors from being eligible.