▁rest ▁of ▁their ▁U CLA ▁care ers . ▁ ▁The ▁NFL ▁introduced ▁a ▁number ing ▁system ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁season , ▁requiring ▁players ▁to ▁be ▁number ed ▁by ▁position . ▁Play ers ▁who ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁NFL ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁earlier ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁old ▁numbers ▁if ▁their ▁number ▁was ▁outside ▁of ▁their ▁range ▁for ▁their ▁position , ▁although ▁New ▁York ▁Gi ants ▁line back er ▁Brad ▁Van ▁P elt ▁wore ▁number ▁ 1 0 ▁despite ▁entering ▁the ▁league ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁( Line back ers ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁number ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 0 s ▁at ▁the ▁time ; ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁they ▁may ▁now ▁wear ▁numbers ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 0 s ▁or ▁ 9 0 s . ▁Van ▁P elt ▁got ▁away ▁with ▁it ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁team ' s ▁backup ▁k icker ▁his ▁ro ok ie ▁season ). ▁The ▁last ▁player ▁to ▁be ▁covered ▁by ▁the ▁grand father ▁clause ▁was ▁Julius ▁Adams , ▁a ▁def ensive ▁end ▁( 1 9 7 1 – 1 9 8 5 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 ) ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁Patri ots , ▁who ▁wore ▁number ▁ 8 5 ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁season . ▁He ▁wore ▁a ▁different ▁number ▁during ▁a ▁brief ▁return ▁two ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁the ▁NFL ▁also ▁b anned ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁numbers ▁ 0 ▁and ▁ 0 0 ▁( both ▁treated