Von Miller trades chicken business share to secure No. 40 jersey for upcoming season
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Von Miller gave up a stake in his poultry venture to allow teammate Hunter Luepke to change jersey numbers, resolving a duplicate-number issue before the regular season.
Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Von Miller and fullback Hunter Luepke were involved in a last-minute negotiation over the No. 40 jersey, which both had worn during training camp. Because NFL rules prohibit duplicate numbers, the two reached an agreement on Thursday for the regular season. Miller agreed to transfer a portion of his ownership in a chicken-production company to Luepke, allowing the veteran to retain the number he wore in high school, college and with previous NFL teams. Luepke will switch to No. 30.
"You got to give Hunter a great shout out. He’s learned from the best with the negotiators here with the Cowboys. It went down to the final hour, but we were able to get it done," Miller said, as reported by Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. "[Luepke] was a great fit for us. It was a great fit for him. I’m happy that we were able to get it done," Miller added, noting his background in poultry science and the partnership with the USDA-certified organic poultry facility in Elgin, Texas, which also counts former players such as Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees and Nick Foles among its investors.