Von Miller completed an interesting deal with a new Dallas Cowboys teammate to receive his preferred jersey number. Miller landed No. 40, which he previously donned with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills, after acquiring the number from fullback Hunter Luepke. Rather than cash or a car, Luepke negotiated a business investment.
Luepke received a minority stake in Greener Pastures Chicken, a company co-owned by Miller, in return for the jersey number. The eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker playfully discussed the unusual situation. "I would have to say it's got to be the first in National Football League history that a jersey swap has been done with ownership of a chicken farm," Miller said, per ESPN's Todd Archer.
"He's learned from the best with the negotiators here with the Cowboys." Luepke, who played college football for the FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, joins Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, and Nick Foles as a Greener Pastures Chicken investor. The 26-year-old drove a hard bargain, passing on free "chicken for life." "It's the chicken of champions, so it was only right for Hunter to be a part of that too," Miller said. "He won three national championships in college, so it was a great fit for us.
It was a great fit for him, and I'm happy that we were able to get it done." Luepke had worn No. 40 in each of his prior three seasons with the Cowboys. The former undrafted free agent will switch to No. 30. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer stayed out of the matter.
He's seen plenty of deals orchestrated for numbers, just typically not involving chicken companies. "If a guy wants a jersey bad enough and he's been around the league a while, he usually has enough capital, cash to get things done," Schottenheimer said. "And I think these guys found a way to get this thing resolved."
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