The Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United announced Friday that they will retire Hank Aaron’s No. 44 for the 2021 season.
The legendary Braves player died Friday morning at age 86.
“When you look at icons of Atlanta and the sport of baseball, Hank Aaron is undoubtedly included in that group,” Falcons President & CEO Rich McKay said in a statement. “But he was more than an icon in sports, he was an icon off the field as well in how he carried himself and treated others.
McKay called Aaron a “true icon” and a “great ambassador” to the game of baseball and to the city of Atlanta as a whole.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
RELATED STORIES:
- Braves legend Hank Aaron dies at age 86
- Braves open up Truist Park for fans to pay tribute to Hank Aaron
- Bigger than baseball: Hank Aaron emerged as an important figure in civil rights movement
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“And yet, when you encountered him, he always made you feel special,” McKay said.
Atlanta United’s two teams will also retire No. 44 for the season.
“He was an American hero, a trailblazer and arguably Atlanta’s greatest sports icon,” Atlanta United president Darren Eales said. The impact he had on our city, our country and the sports world is immeasurable.”
The Atlanta Braves retired the No. 44 in 1977.