HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — No player has worn the number 44 at Hampton since 1980. That was Rick Mahorn’s final season as a Pirate and on Monday, Hampton officially retired Mahorn’s 44 during a halftime celebration at the Convocation Center.
Mahon starred at then-Hampton Institute from 1976-1980. The Connecticut native says his years at Hampton helped shape him into the man he is today.
“What a rush, it’s a rush because it’s where I laid my bones,” Mahorn said, “A lot of times, people forget where they came from… I don’t. Hampton Institute at the time, and now Hampton University, did so much for me in my life. I learned a lot. I learned how to navigate the world.”