▁at ▁the ▁college ▁or ▁university , ▁practice ▁with ▁an ▁athlet ic ▁team , ▁and ▁" suit ▁up " ▁( we ar ▁a ▁team ▁uniform ) ▁for ▁play ▁– ▁but ▁they ▁may ▁comp ete ▁in ▁only ▁a ▁limited ▁number ▁of ▁games , ▁( see ▁" Use ▁of ▁status " ▁section ). ▁Using ▁this ▁mechanism , ▁a ▁student ▁ath lete ▁has ▁at ▁most ▁five ▁academic ▁years ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁four ▁years ▁of ▁el ig ibility , ▁thus ▁becoming ▁what ▁is ▁term ed ▁a ▁fifth - year ▁senior . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁and ▁origin ▁According ▁to ▁Mer ri am - Web ster ▁and ▁Web ster ' s ▁Third ▁New ▁International ▁Dictionary , ▁Un ab rid ged , ▁the ▁term ▁red sh irt ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁red ▁j er sey ▁commonly ▁worn ▁by ▁such ▁a ▁player ▁in ▁practice ▁sc rim m ages ▁against ▁the ▁regular s . ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁red sh irt ▁was ▁likely ▁from ▁Warren ▁Alf son ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Neb r aska ▁who , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁asked ▁to ▁practice ▁but ▁not ▁play ▁and ▁wore ▁a ▁Neb r aska ▁red ▁sh irt ▁without ▁a ▁number . ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁verb , ▁n oun , ▁and ▁ad jective . ▁For ▁example , ▁a ▁coach ▁may ▁choose ▁to ▁red sh irt ▁a ▁player ▁who ▁is ▁then ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁red sh irt , ▁and ▁a ▁red sh irt ▁fresh man ▁refers ▁to ▁an ▁ath lete ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁participation , ▁after