{"id":360755,"date":"2025-11-06T22:24:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T22:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/360755\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T22:24:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T22:24:11","slug":"can-a-jersey-number-give-a-player-a-psychological-edge-just-ask-the-qb-who-wears-47","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/360755\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a jersey number give a player a psychological edge? Just ask the QB who wears 47"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Athletic has live coverage of Raiders vs. Broncos<\/a> in NFL \u2018Thursday Night Football.\u2019<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0This story is part of Peak,\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s desk covering leadership, personal development and performance through the lens of sports. Follow Peak\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bear Bachmeier brought a jersey to a comedy show. But it wasn\u2019t his.<\/p>\n

BYU\u2019s true freshman starting quarterback carried with him a bright orange No. 9 jersey<\/a> of the South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs to Adam Sandler\u2019s show last month in Salt Lake City. The jersey is worn by Mud Dogs lunatic-on-the-field linebacker Bobby Boucher, who in Sandler\u2019s 1998 film \u201cThe Waterboy,\u201d transformed from a reserved fan of H20 into a highlight-reel hitter running on an endless reserve of tackling fuel.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fitting that Bachmeier, who has spearheaded No. 8 BYU\u2019s undefeated season, has a Bobby Boucher jersey because you won\u2019t find any starting quarterback in big-time college or professional football like Bear Bachmeier. Not just because of his first name, which already provides a dash of mystique, or his physical Boucher-like style of play.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s because of his jersey number.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, quarterbacks in football have worn numbers 1 through 19, a system initially designed to help officials identify the most important player on the field. In the NFL, quarterbacks are still required to wear a number in that range. Think of any famous quarterback. No. 12: Tom Brady. No. 16: Joe Montana. No. 15: Patrick Mahomes.<\/p>\n

But in college, there are no such restrictions, and so Bachmeier has opted for something juuuust a bit different: 47, a jersey number long reserved for fearless fullbacks and massive middle linebackers. Of the 163 FBS quarterbacks who have played 150 snaps this season, Bachmeier is the only one to wear a number above 19.<\/p>\n

Bachmeier has been a revelation for undefeated BYU this season. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, the 19-year-old quarterback won the starting spot in fall camp despite arriving at BYU in May. He\u2019s been efficient, throwing for 1,693 yards along with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. And he\u2019s utilized his sizable frame on the ground, too, accounting for nine rushing touchdowns.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s when he tucks the ball into his elbow and takes off that he feels the most like No. 47.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I put that on, it\u2019s a reminder of family and trying to make them proud,\u201d Bachmeier said. \u201cI\u2019m playing quarterback and having that uniqueness, it is the epitome of toughness. It\u2019s a fine line, but it makes me want to run somebody over. I think it brings me back to that primitive nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

It might be strange to think that something as trivial as a jersey number could provide a psychological boost, but experts, history and research suggest Bachmeier might be onto something.<\/p>\n

A UCLA study found that smaller jersey numbers led people to perceive players as slimmer. ESPN\u2019s Kevin Seifert talked to NFL receivers<\/a> who wore jersey numbers in the single digits and teens. Many said they felt faster in a smaller number. Jersey numbers can be integral to a player\u2019s identity. Veteran athletes on new teams have paid tens of thousands of dollars to reclaim a number occupied by one of their teammates.<\/p>\n

Former NFL running back Chris Thompson put it this way to The Washington Post<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m all about, \u2018You look good, you feel good; you feel good, you play good.\u2019 I\u2019m all about that. I know it ain\u2019t all about that, but that\u2019s what I believe in my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Could a player find a psychological edge, however small, in wearing a number that signifies something to them?<\/p>\n

\u201cAs humans, we really like having control of our lives, control of our surroundings, and part of that control is controlling your own identity,\u201d said Dr. Chris Stankovich, a sports psychologist who has worked with youth, collegiate and pro athletes. \u201cAs an athlete, you think, \u2018That is who I am. I am that number.\u2019 And the number for many athletes provides comfort and confidence. Every little edge helps. It might not be a big deal to 6 or 7 year olds, but in high school, college, the pros, if you can get a jump about feeling good with your own identity with this number on your back, why wouldn\u2019t you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Human nature\u2019s affinity for identifying oneself with a number is as common as an astrological sign. Early on in his lectures, London-based mathematician Alex Bellos makes a point to find time to poll the audience about their favorite numbers. When he asks who in attendance has one, most hands immediately shoot up.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though numbers are very abstract or objective,\u201d Bellos said, \u201cwe cannot help but impose some sort of quantitative understanding onto them in a human way.\u201d<\/p>\n

One person who agrees: Hank Bachmeier, Bear\u2019s older brother, who also played quarterback in college.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you have that number you want, you create a persona,\u201d Hank said. \u201cWhen you have your own unique number, you have a perspective, perception and a quiet confidence about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bear Bachmeier didn\u2019t choose 47 himself. It was selected by his father, Michael. Bear was 5, playing linebacker and running back for the Rancho Panthers growing up in Murrieta, Calif. Michael, a former officer in the United States Marine Corps, chose the number for Bear because he felt it represented toughness. Growing up, Michael always admired fullbacks and linebackers. Back then, stars of those positions weren\u2019t allowed to wear the numbers from 1 through 19 like quarterbacks. No, they were anywhere from 20 to 50.<\/p>\n

But why precisely 47?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not entirely sure,\u201d Bear said. \u201cMy dad really likes those 30s, 40s and 50s numbers. He stuck with it. He played quarterback growing up, but he wanted me to be gritty and tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Bear\u2019s style of play that impressed upon his dad that he needed something different. \u201cWhen he was 5, instead of tackling somebody on defense, he would just take the ball from someone and run like 60 yards the other way,\u201d Michael said. \u201cIn my mind, I just picked a number that made sense to me. He needed a cool football number. That\u2019s where 47 came to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ever since, Bear has been 47. In every Pop Warner league, in every youth All-Star showcase (except for one, which he felt like threw him off), through high school and during his rise to a four-star sought-after recruit in Southern California. Bear\u2019s older brother Hank said their dad would always remind Bear to embrace the mentality of a defensive player, even as a quarterback, instructing Bear from the sidelines to \u201crun somebody over!\u201d Bear also wore 47 in baseball and basketball, too.<\/p>\n

Originally committed to Stanford, Bear\u2019s jersey number became such a topic of fascination that recruiting websites posted about his \u201cplans\u201d to wear it even before he was enrolled.<\/p>\n

The desired ethos 47 represents to the Bachmeiers showed itself in BYU\u2019s win over rival Utah last month. With the Cougars nursing a 17-14 lead with less than five minutes remaining, Bachmeier\u2019s primitive former linebacker nature returned. On a 3rd-and-10, he evaded tackle after tackle, eventually barreling into the end zone carrying with him a host of Utah defenders for a 22-yard touchdown<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBear\u2019s physical toughness is as good as I have ever been around,\u201d his high school coach, George Wilson, told the Deseret News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In other words, he plays like a traditional 47.<\/p>\n

Hank, the oldest of the five Bachmeier children, wore the No. 19 most of his life. Tiger Bachmeier, a junior wide receiver for BYU, also wears 19. Buck Bachmeier is a ninth-grader in Southern California. Like Bear, Buck \u2014\u00a0 who is also nicknamed \u201cCougar\u201d \u2014 plays quarterback and some linebacker.<\/p>\n

The No. 47 wasn\u2019t available for him this fall, so he went with 19. But Bear said as Buck gets older, he\u2019s keeping an eye out for 47.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Athletic has live coverage of Raiders vs. Broncos in NFL \u2018Thursday Night Football.\u2019 Editor\u2019s note:\u00a0This story is…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":360756,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[3920,1428,392,1318,1317,1315,1316,1232,2503,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-360755","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-byu-cougars","9":"tag-college-football","10":"tag-culture","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-ncaa","13":"tag-ncaa-football","14":"tag-ncaafootball","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-peak","17":"tag-sports","18":"tag-united-states","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115505100486735057","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}