Peyton Manning Jersey Banned From Colorado Schools

Peyton Manning is a few days away from officially starting his first game with the Denver Broncos. The former MVP’s jersey is flying off of the shelves as fans get ready for the new Manning era. The No. 18 jersey is not, however, allowed in some Colorado schools.

According to the LA Times the schools in Weld County District 6 have banned the jerseys. Well, the school has a dress code that bans clothing with the number 18. Manning’s jersey, of course, is decorated with the number 18 and therefore can’t be worn in schools.

CBS reports that the unique dress code has to do with a local gang in the area called the 18th Street Gang. The numbers 13 and 14 are also banned, as well as 81, 31, and 41, the reverse of all three numbers.

That means that student fans are also banned from wearing the jersey of cornerback Omar Bolden (31) and receivers Tyler Grisham (13) and Brandon Stokley (14).

John Gates, the district’s security director, said that he’s a big Broncos fan and a big Peyton Manning fan and that it’s unfortunate that student’s can’t wear their favorite player’s jersey to school. But according to Gates, the safety of his students takes priority over Broncos fandom.