PINEHURST, N.C. — In the aftermath of Syracuse restoring the No. 44 to the football program, it seemed that everyone had an opinion. Former SU quarterback Donovan McNabb publicly shamed it. Floyd Little, who wore the number, said restoring it would continue its legacy. On Monday, quarterback Terrel Hunt said he didn’t think it should ever be worn again.

When asked on Tuesday at Atlantic Coast Conference Media Day about the restoration and the controversy that followed it, Shafer said he was happy to have the number back in circulation.

“For me it’s easy. Jersey No. 44, just the fact that it’s being talked about so much is a great thing, as long as we cut through the layers,” Shafer said. “Everyone wants to talk about it being a recruiting tool, which I’m sure it is, we all understand that.

“To me it’s a story, it’s a story about the culture, and the effect that Syracuse University through college football has had on the game. And it goes back to Jim Brown being the best football player maybe ever to play the game, not winning the Heisman Trophy. He helps Ernie Davis come to Syracuse University. Ernie Davis becomes the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. To cross those lines that nobody was talking about back then is a big part of the culture behind No. 44.”

Shafer said he enjoys the fact that he can walk down the hall and talk to Little, who works for the athletic department, about the subject. He did say that he will let the committee that was put together determine the future of No. 44, which became muddled after Brown claimed to not give his blessing for its restoration.

“I’ve been focused on the things that are most important,” Shafer said. “And that’s been focusing in on good practice plans. Doing a good job with our scheduling of how we go about our business. How we run our offense, our defense and the kicking game. Those would be the controllables that I’m talking to. The rest of it is less important.”