Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick Broderick Jones, a left tackle out of Georgia, unveiled his new number Friday before his introductory press conference.
Jones, who was selected 14th overall, will wear No. 77 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, shifting from the No. 59 he wore at Georgia. The number 59, of course, belongs to Pro Hall of Famer Jack Ham and hasn’t been issued since the 1984 season when Todd Seabaugh wore the jersey for one year.
Jones chose the number 77 to honor former Georgia teammate Devin Willock, who was killed in a car accident in January, along with former Georgia staffer Chandler LeCroy, he told Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley.
“It’s in honor of my teammate that passed. He wore No. 77. No. 59 is not available. No. 77 was another option. I felt like I would do that for him, his family and me,” Jones said.
Jones will be the latest Steelers’ offensive lineman to wear the number 77. Previously, Jesse Davis and wore the number last season and John LeGlue wore the number in 2021.
Prior to Davis and LeGlue, Derwin Gray wore 77 for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Before Gray, Marcus Gilbert wore 77 for seven seasons, and Marvel Smith wore the number for eight seasons from 2000 to 2008. Former starter Carlton Haselrig also the wore the number in the ’90s for the Steelers.
