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Jameson Williams hasn’t been on the Detroit Lions for long, but already, the wideout has had a couple of numbers.
Williams, who wore the number 1 in college, started in Detroit wearing 18. Now, however, there’s been a change of heart for Williams just ahead of the 2022 season.
On Wednesday, August 10, Williams posted an interesting photo on Instagram which featured a 9 jersey. This led to folks wondering whether or not he was going to be switching numbers.
Indeed, that was the case. ESPN’s Eric Woodyard confirmed the switch of numbers, and explained the reasoning had to do with the player’s desire for a single-digit number. He also contacted Matthew Stafford.
“Lions rookie Jameson Williams has officially switched his jersey to No. 9 — Matthew Stafford’s old Detroit number. He was looking for a single digit number and actually reached out to Stafford on his own via text as an act of courtesy, according to a source. Classy move,” Woodyard tweeted.
Given his injury, fans shouldn’t expect to see too much of Williams right now until later in the season, so the new number will need some time to be debuted. Still, Williams is making the switch and will be in the threads from now on.
Williams’ Original Jersey was Legend Tribute
Why did Williams choose 18 in the first place to start? It had to do with some bigger name players as he explained.
Speaking to the media after practice during OTA’s on Saturday, May 14, Williams was asked about the number and as he explained, it was a tribute to a couple of Hall of Fame players in Calvin Johnson and Randy Moss, a few guys he clearly looked up to playing the position himself.
“It was a couple options. One reason was Calvin Johnson had 81, I saw 81 and I wanted to flip it. Randy Moss had 18 once, he was my favorite receiver,” Williams explained with a laugh.
In college, Williams wore 1 with Alabama. That number in Detroit is currently occupied. Clearly, that wasn’t going to change, even after a little give and take between the sides.
“No, Jeff Okudah my bro got it. Thing is we already tried to (negotiate), that’s over with. I like (18) though, how do y’all think it looks?,” Williams said to the media.
18 looked good on Williams, but he wants to see what a new number looks like. In the end, 8 plus 1 does add up to 9.
Williams’ Gesture With Stafford Very Classy
In terms of how Williams handled the switch, he did everything right for a rookie player. The fact that he elected to reach out to Stafford shows the class and smarts he has given what the number meant in Detroit.
Prior to being traded last offseason, Stafford made the number his own and turned it into a favorite in the Motor City. The fans were very loyal to Stafford, and as a result, 9 could have been off limits in the mind of players. It was not occupied during the 2021 season.
Now, though, Williams will get a shot to put his own stamp on the number in Detroit. The hope is he can keep the big plays rolling when he gets back on the field.
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