Nevada Football will honor Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Marion Motley throughout the 2025 season by having a different player wear his No. 41 jersey at each game. This tribute begins with wide receiver Charles Brown wearing the number in the season opener at Penn State.
Motley played for Nevada from 1940 to 1942 and is considered one of football’s greatest players. His No. 41 was retired by the university in 1969 after he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. While the number remains retired and will not be permanently assigned, it will be worn temporarily during games this season as a tribute to Motley’s journey, military service, and football legacy.
Brown commented on being chosen for the tribute: “I’m tremendously grateful for this opportunity and for the support from my coaches and teammates who have recognized the hard work I put in every day (…) Being the first to wear Marion Motley’s No. 41 is more than just an honor; it’s a responsibility. This initiative reminds me to lead with humility, to set an example for my team, and to bring along selfless, dedicated individuals who share that same drive day in and day out. It’s motivation to keep pushing, not just for myself but for the legacy we are all part of.”
Nevada Athletics Director Stephanie Rempe said, “Marion Motley’s Nevada legacy is an essential component in the history of Wolf Pack Athletics (…) So much about Marion Motley’s story at Nevada—his journey to Reno, his perseverance, his outstanding performances on the field, his service for this country—embodies the values we hold highest at the University and in Northern Nevada.”
Motley began his college career at South Carolina State before transferring to Nevada. He made significant contributions as both fullback and linebacker and had several notable plays including a school-record-tying 105-yard kickoff return.
He left Nevada when inducted into the U.S. Navy during World War II where he played football under coach Paul Brown at Great Lakes Naval Station. After World War II, Brown brought him onto the Cleveland Browns roster when they joined professional football’s All-American Football Conference (AAFC). In his first year with Cleveland—and alongside fellow Black athletes Bill Willis, Woody Strode, and Kenny Washington—Motley helped break modern pro football’s color barrier.
Motley played nine professional seasons (eight with Cleveland Browns; one with Pittsburgh Steelers), led AAFC in rushing records, topped NFL rushing statistics in 1950, appeared in multiple playoff games including Pro Bowl appearances, and completed his pro career with over four thousand rushing yards—a career average of nearly six yards per carry.
Coach Paul Brown once referred to him as “the greatest fullback ever.” Motley’s legacy includes being named to several all-time teams such as NFL’s Seventy-Fifth Anniversary All-Time Team as well as selection by Sports Illustrated writer Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman as perhaps football’s best-ever player.
After retiring from pro play Motley became only second Black man enshrined into Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame; he was also part of Nevada’s inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class.
Wolf Pack head coach Jeff Choate said: “This is an opportunity to remember a great Nevada and NFL legend in Marion Motley. What it exemplifies to me is the courage, determination, and hard work it takes to be a champion and part of the Wolf Pack program. Nobody exemplifies that more than Marion Motley.”
Motley died in 1999 but continues receiving recognition across sport platforms for breaking barriers within American football.
