The Pittsburgh Steelers have started the 2023 NFL Draft off with a bang as they traded with the New England Patriots in order to move up and select Broderick Jones with the 14th overall pick. Jones recently had his introductory press conference, and one question that was asked revolved around the jersey number he’ll wear for the black and gold.
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Steelers Tackle Honors Fallen Friend
When it comes to choosing a jersey number, a player tends to gravitate towards one that has a significant meaning to him. For Broderick Jones, this would ordinarily be 59, the same one he wore when he attended the University of Georgia. Unfortunately, Jones won’t have access to this number as it’s no longer available, having been pulled from the rotation to honor former Steelers Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham. Jones may not be able to wear 59, but there’s a different number he plans to don. One he never wore while in high school nor when he attended Georgia, but one of Jones’s Bulldog teammates did.
Devin Willock was an offensive lineman that was rated as a three-star prospect in the same group as Jones back in 2020. The two of them anchored the left side of the offensive line, with Jones playing tackle and Willock playing guard. Both of these young men became a large part of an offensive juggernaut that won the Bulldogs’ second straight National Championship this past season. Sadly, after the championship parade and celebration concluded in Athens, Willock, as well as Georgia recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, were involved in a car crash that took their lives.
After the tragic events of that day, Jones decided to wear Willock’s jersey number to the 2023 Senior Bowl. Even now, with Jones starting a new chapter of his life in the “Steel City,” he’s going to continue honor the memory his late friend and teammate.
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“Yeah so, my roommate at the University of Georgia, he wore 77, Devin Willock, the one that passed away in the crash, they told me the number was available and I just wanted to show my respects by taking that number and letting him live through me,” Jones said.
Jones’ “Do It For Dev” Mentality
Jones is the latest former Bulldog player to honor Willock’s memory, as others have done so in a variety of ways. Offensive linemen that are currently a part of Georgia’s program have stated that Willock’s presence is still felt around the Bulldogs program. There are hand-drawn pictures of Willock that can be found in the offensive line room or tattoos on the bodies of players such as Amarius Mims, Austin Blaske and Tate Ratledge.
"It's something that will never leave our minds. He was one of our brothers, one of our best friends. We've got a picture in the offensive line room now. I've got this [tattoo] on my wrist for him,” Ratledge said on March 23. “Yeah, it's just something that will always just come about. Even when we're watching plays — old plays come up, and you see him there. We always know he's there with us and taking care of us.”
The "Do it for Dev" mentality has been discussed ever since Willock’s passing. Georgia’s head coach Kirby Smart explained the origins of this mentality stemmed from former offensive lineman Warren Ericson. Ericson spoke at Willock’s memorial service and focused on the values of living life to be more like Willock.
“He was never on a list. He was never part of any discipline. Guy never missed a class or was late to anything,” Smart said. “I thought Warren said it best when he said that this kid did everything right, and if you want to be like somebody, be like Dev because he didn't try to fake it. He didn't try to be super tough. He was a gentle giant, and more people should be who they are."
Jones and his band of Bulldog brothers will continue to find ways to honor their former teammates’ memory as time goes on. They all will continue to cherish memories of their playing days together at Georgia as they make their way through life, whether that be in the NFL or other pursuits.
Do you like this gesture by Broderick Jones? If so, please let us know in the comment section and on social media.
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