There's more behind Ashton Jeanty's number selection for his rookie year with the Raiders than fans may realize
Part of Ashton Jeanty's branding, aside from his new nickname that fits the Las Vegas Raiders color scheme — the silver surfer, is his jersey number, just like it would be with any other big-time player. When you think of certain numbers, you usually think of certain players, like the No. 12 usually makes people […]
Part of Ashton Jeanty's branding, aside from his new nickname that fits the Las Vegas Raiders color scheme — the silver surfer, is his jersey number, just like it would be with any other big-time player.
When you think of certain numbers, you usually think of certain players, like the No. 12 usually makes people think of Tom Brady when he was with the New England Patriots, or even Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers. When you think of Ashton Jeanty, if you've been watching college football, you should think of the No. 2.
Jeanty's social media handles are even "Duece," in reference to the number two. It's a huge part of his branding. But, we weren't exactly sure if he would be able to have it with the Raiders. It's not that the number is retired or anything, but as a rookie, sometimes you don't get to get the number you want, especially if a player already on the team has it.
In this case, it was Daniel Carlson with the No. 2, one of the best kickers in the entire league, and a guy who has been with the Raiders for some time now. So, yes, most thought Jeanty would end up moving to a number in the 20s.
But on Thursday, it was announced that Jeanty would be repping the No. 2 for the Las Vegas Raiders in his rookie year. And that's important news for a few reasons.
First, well, that means he and Carlson had to agree on some type of deal because there is no way he gave it to the rookie for free, especially when it's likely going to cost him some money to change numbers. Now you should be interested in seeing what number he picks. It could end up being No. 4, or something like that. DC4 was once a pretty popular guy in Las Vegas after all.
And then there is the side that makes this decision by Carlson, a very big one for the Raiders. It may not seem like a big deal, but numbers matter when fans are buying jerseys. If it's an ugly number, the fans may not want to buy the jersey. Having the No. 2, a very easy number to remember and one that is easy for a younger generation and age group to grasp, is only going to help the Raiders sell more jerseys.
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