The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced the new jersey numbers for their incoming draft class, with five veterans changing their numbers as well. One of their third picks was defensive back Jalen Huskey from Maryland, a versatile defender who will primarily provide depth for now, though he could begin contributing on special teams immediately.
It has been announced that Huskey will wear No. 22, which previously had been worn by Jarrian Jones, who will now be wearing No. 4 this season instead. Yet according to SI.com, this wasn’t just an arbitrary switch. Jones relinquished his number to Huskey to allow him to honor his late sister.
“Huge inspiration. I’m hoping that I can connect with Jarrian so I can figure something out with that number. But just being able to have her with me on the field and wearing that 22 is something that’s extremely important to me,” Huskey said after being drafted, via Jaguars on SI. “My family is my rock, and it means a lot to them to see me on the field wearing 22. And just being able to go through whatever with my chin up, knowing that my family’s looking at me and they’re depending on me is something that I really care about.”
Clearly, Jones was willing to let that number go for Huskey, which was certainly appreciated.
Huskey’s sister Kiera died on February 22, 2022 — so 2/22/22 — and it’s a date that understandably has great meaning for him now. The two were seemingly very close. Jones showed incredible kindness and compassion towards his new teammate by switching jersey numbers, allowing Huskey to keep Kiera’s memory alive and his tribute ongoing as he takes to the field in Jacksonville.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars’ jersey numbers: Why Jarrian Jones made switch for Jalen Huskey