UPDATE: Haha, whoa, I missed this. They changed the rules according to proposal #22 on this list. Now I have to re-develop all my jersey number biases, UGH.
Here’s a poorly kept secret about myself: I have a strange affinity for jersey numbers. I care about them. Some look right on a player or position, and some look wrong. Cam Newton wear #1 is weird; that’s a kicker number. Wide receivers shouldn’t wear #12; that’s more for quarterbacks. And don’t even get me start on goaltender Tomas Vokoun wear #92 during his tenure with the Penguins.
According to this article on Steelers Depot, the Steelers from the 2015 draft class have been given jersey numbers as follows:
Bud Dupree: 48
Senquez Golson: 27
Sammie Coates: 14
Doran Grant: 24
Jesse James: 81
LT Walton: 78
Anthony Chickillo: 40
Gerod Holliman: 31
Linebackers are supposed to wear #50-59 and #90-99. I don’t know why, but that’s the way it is. #48 is a classic “warm body in training camp, first round of cuts” number. Likewise, Anthony Chickillo, a defensive lineman-turned-linebacker, was given #40? That’s a running back number, what’s going on here?
It’s going to be weird seeing another cornerback wearing Ike Taylor’s number, but we’ll get used to it. #78 feels weird on a defensive lineman instead of an offensive tackle, but his name is LT, so I’ll take it.
And uh, someone might want to inform Sammie Coates about the last unnecessarily-drafted wide receiver who got #14…
This post was brought to you by my bizarre and specific manifestation of OCD.