New Steelers tackle Broderick Jones will have a new number in the NFL.
Via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com, Jones will wear No. 77, in honor of former Georgia teammate Devin Willock.
“They told me the number was available, and I just wanted to show my respects by taking that number and letting it live through me,” Jones said Friday via Pryor.
Willock and Georgia staff member Chandler LeCroy died in an automobile accident on January 15. LeCroy was driving an SUV at roughly 104 miles per hour. Her blood-alcohol concentration was 0.197 percent.
LeCroy allegedly was racing Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor chargers of racing and reckless driving.
As noted by Pryor, Willock’s father has notified the University System of Georgia that Willock’s family plans to seek $2 million in damages for Willock’s death. Carter undoubtedly will be facing civil litigation, too, for his role in setting the stage for the crash that claimed Willock’s life.
Jones was selected by the Steelers with the fourteenth overall pick, after Pittsburgh traded up from No. 17 to get him.
