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There have been plenty of situations where athletes have agreed to give their jersey number to a teammate in exchange for some form of compensation. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more unique deal than the one that resulted in Cowboys fullback Hunter Luepke landing an ownership stake in a chicken farm courtesy of Von Miller.
Some athletes aren’t particularly concerned about the number on their jersey, as it doesn’t really have any tangible impact on how they perform. With that said, there are plenty of people who are pretty attached to certain digits due to tradition or superstition, and things can get awkward when they join a team where someone has already claimed them.
There’s a largely unspoken rule that younger and largely untouted players are expected to offer their number to veterans and established contributors when they arrive via a trade or free agency, and they typically receive some sort of compensation for giving it up.
Those rewards have included a new Rolex, a tricked-out SUV, and plenty of instances where players have received a sizable pile of cash (although you also want to avoid getting too greedy, as one rookie learned the hard way when Davante Adams joined the Jets).
However, I can’t say I’ve come across a deal quite like the one that unfolded between a couple of guys on the Cowboys.
Cowboys FB Hunter Luepke got a chicken-centric compensation package for giving up his number to Von Miller
Von Miller rocked #40 on his jersey when he was in high school, and he stuck with the same number during his time at Texas A&M. He decided to switch to #58 when he joined the Broncos, and most people probably associate him with those digits when you consider he spent the bulk of a career that’s about to reach 15 seasons in Denver.
However, the linebacker decided to go back to #40 when he was traded to the Rams in 2021, and he stuck with it after linking up with Buffalo. He opted for #24 with the Commanders last season (a tribute inspired by a former teammate who was paralyzed as well as Kobe Bryant and Champ Bailey), but it was unclear what route he was going to take after he inked a one-year deal with the Cowboys over the summer.
We got our answer this week, as Miller will be wearing #40, which had been claimed by Hunter Luepke, the former North Dakota State fullback who’s been playing for the Cowboys since he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Miller presented Luepke with a number of offers, which included “full-body tattoo work” and a lifetime supply of chicken. That second incentive was linked to Greener Pastures Chicken, the Texas-based poultry company that Miller owns, and Luepke ultimately got his new teammate to give him an undisclosed ownership stake.
If you’re curious, the fullback will be switching to #30.