NFL players, as you may have noticed, can become very particular about which numbers they wear.

Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson came to the Chiefs wearing No. 34, but switched to No. 27 because he grew up a fan watching Eddie George. When Joe Montana became the Chiefs’ quarterback in 1993, he couldn’t keep No. 16, which he’d worn in San Francisco. That number was retired in honor of Len Dawson, so Montana wore No. 19 as a Chief.

Out of sentiment or superstition, players routinely become attached to numbers they’ve worn a long time. Occasionally, somebody like Johnson will pick a number to make a statement. By the way, can you remember who was wearing No. 27 when Johnson reported for his first Chiefs’ training camp? The answer’s at the bottom.

NFL players get so proprietary about their numbers that some stars, who come to new teams and find their old numbers taken, pay teammates thousands of dollars to give up their numerals.

Now, Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy-winning running back from Southern California, tells ESPN The Magazine that he wants to see if the NFL will let him continue to wear No. 5.

But the NFL has a longstanding policy that running backs have to wear numbers 20 through 49. To help officials more easily identify which players are at what positions, every position has a specific number range.

Unfortunately for Bush, only quarterbacks, punters and kickers wear numbers from one through 19. Wide receivers and tight ends can wear 10 through 19, in addition to 80 through 89. So unless Bush learns to pass or kick, he’ll have to pick a new number.

If you check out the Chiefs from their glory days, you’ll see No. 14 on running back Ed Podolak, No. 18 on cornerback Emmitt Thomas, No. 44 on punter Jerrel Wilson and a whole bunch of numbers on players who wouldn’t be permitted to wear them today.

Now if Bush is truly passionate about wearing No. 5, he can always sue the NFL. That’s what Seattle linebacker Brian Bosworth did when league rules prohibited him from keeping No. 44. NFL linebackers wear numbers in the 50s and 60 and Bosworth wore No. 55 for his Seahawks debut in 1987.

Bosworth wore No. 44 at Oklahoma and that number was commercially important for him. So he took the NFL to court and won the right to wear No. 44.

“I’d played as 44 since I was a kid,” Bosworth wrote in his autobiography.

“I’m extremely superstitious. I couldn’t even imagine stepping on the field without wearing 44. I had a lot of money tied up in 44. My company is called 44 Boz, Inc. And we’d signed a deal to market our own line of clothes and sunglasses called “44 Blues.” Now what? I’m supposed to change it to “55 Blues.?”

Bush, however, isn’t likely to get his old number back. Arizona running back Edgerrin James also wore No. 5, at the University of Miami, and was turned down two years ago when he asked the league if he could wear that number again.

Bush can count on an eight-figure signing bonus and a great career, providing the Texans find him some blocking. That should go a long way toward easing the pain of having to switch numbers. Besides, what could possibly top being drafted No. 1?

Answer to trivia question: Running back Jarmar Julien wore No. 27 for the Chiefs when he appeared on special teams in two games in 2002 and during training camp of 2003.