The Los Angeles Rams are in the Super Bowl, and that means a whole new segment of sports fans will get to know them during the media circus that will unfold in Atlanta leading up to the big game and, of course, when the actual game kicks off next Sunday.
And that also means fans getting to know the players by face and by uniform number. Like Aaron Donald, who’s been rocking the No. 99 ever since he joined the Rams in 2014 out of the University of Pittsburgh. Or Jared Goff, who wears No. 16 and Robert Woods wearing No. 17.
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Which raises the question: Why do the players wear the numbers they wear?
So I decided to ask as many Rams players as I could before they hopped on their charter flight to Atlanta. What I learned is it’s a mixture of sheer luck of the draw, a little bit of superstition, a little bit of maintaining a lifelong connection to a favorite number and, in some cases, motivation. There’s also the reason that we all can relate to: Hey man, this number looks cool on me.
Anyway, here are some Rams players, in their own words, explaining the stories behind their numbers.
No. 6 Johnny Hekker
“It was given to me. So no special story or reason. I was No. 7 in college, but it’s retired here. So No. 6 was the next option. I can’t really picture myself in any other number now, though. I got No. 6 and now I love it.”
No. 16 Jared Goff
“When I was like seven years old, my dad was like, ‘Choose No. 16. That was Joe Montana,’ and I was like, ‘All right. Who’s that? Oh, OK, the quarterback of the 49ers.’ And that was the extent of it.”
No. 17 Robert Woods
“Well, there’s a reason I don’t wear 10 (the number he had in Buffalo.) But just coming to L.A., a fresh start. I just wanted to feel like I was getting a whole new start to my career. And so far so good with 17.”
No. 20 Lamarcus Joyner
“It’s just a simple story. I grew up watching Ed Reed and I just always loved his style of play and I admired him and I wanted to emulate him. And it’s cool seeing kids and fans wear my jersey because I mean I was a kid that was inspired by someone I looked up to. But I sometimes give them a hard time and tell them to wear it right. Nothing major but just joking with them.”
No. 21 Aqib Talib
“So in college I was No. 3. So if you notice, 2 and 1, that equals three. I always have to have three on me. Two plus one equals three. I was 25 in Tampa Bay. Five minus two equals three. So there you go, there it is. In New England, I had 31, so the three was there.”
No. 22 Marcus Peters
“Nahhh man. No story. I wore 21 in college. I’m 22 in the NFL. So no story or history.”
No. 23 Nickell Robey-Coleman
“Nah, when I came in they had already taken No. 21, so I was like that’s cool — I’ll take No. 23. And now that’s who I am. That’s me.
“It humbles me when I see people wearing my jersey, and it’s sometimes a surprise. Just seeing kids wearing my jersey, supporting me. It makes me feel good and it makes me keep working hard at what I’m doing. And it’s an awareness that kids look up to me and they follow what I do. So I have to lead by example.”
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No. 32 Troy Hill
“It was just given to me, but I was 2 and 13 before, so 3 and 2. You feel me? And I’ve come to terms with it for sure.”
No. 42 John Kelly
“The reason why I got No. 42 is because I always had No. 4 (and) my birthday is October 4th. And I couldn’t get No. 4 here. So when I got my chance to pick my jersey, I was like, ’42 is open,’ and they said, ‘That’ll be a sweet one, no one’s got it.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ So I wanted to make a name for myself with 42 and, being in L.A., Jackie Robinson had 42. So there’s a lot of history behind that number (and) I wanted to be a part of it.”
No. 43 John Johnson
“There’s a story. There wasn’t supposed to be one, but there is.
“So when I got to Boston College, they gave me No. 43 and I wanted to immediately transfer because I thought they thought I was a walk-on or something. So I changed it to No. 9 my junior year. But then I got here, they told me you got either 39 or 43. And I was like, what? So I said give me 39, and then I hung up. But then I called right back and said, ‘Matter of fact, I’ll take 43.’ I might as well stick with it because I had that at B.C.
“I grew up wearing other people’s jerseys, so to know I’m at that point and I’m a role model, it feels great.”
No. 45 Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
“We had a couple of options, but I like 45 because I think it symbolizes how I play and what I do best. I feel like the (Colt 45). I play as fast as a speeding bullet and that’s my style of play. It’s so cool to see fans and kids wearing your number just to know you have this type of platform to inspire kids. It’s a humbling feeling.”
No. 50 Samson Ebukam
“Nope, nothing at all. It was either 50 or 51 and I just liked 50 better. I was 91 in college, then changed to No. 3. And 3 represented the holy trinity and I felt like that was a good fit.”
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No. 59 Micah Kiser
“Nope. No story. It was the only one that was left. For me, a number isn’t anything. You make the number. So I don’t even worry about it.”
No. 65 John Sullivan
“No. It’s just the number I got when I got to Minnesota with the Vikings. It’s awesome to see kids with my jersey. Normally it’s kids that are related to me. My son or nephews. But it’s great. You just want to make sure you live up to it, that role model standard, and be someone they emulate.”
No. 66 Austin Blythe
“I was 63 in college, and when I got to Indianapolis I was 63. And then when I got here Darrell Williams had 63, so (the equipment guy) gave me 66 and I liked the way it looked. I kind of liked the look of it. So fresh start.
“There’s some kids that wear it. I come from a small town in Iowa and I try to be a good role model and it’s humbling. There’s a kid going through a pretty tough time of it right now in Williamsburg, and (I am) just trying to be a source of joy and give him some good memories.
“His name is Tate Schaefer, he’s 11 years old and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I’m pretty close to his family. We had him out (in L.A.) for the divisional round and we’ve got some plans to get him down to the Super Bowl. So it feels good and I think I’d be doing my position an injustice if I wasn’t using it in that sort of way.”
No. 70 Joseph Noteboom
“Nothing too big or anything. There was one 70 number left, the rest were 60s, and I wanted a 70 so that was the only one. I’ll stick with it. I mean, the family has already bought it and everything, so I’ve got to stick with it.”
No. 76 Rodger Saffold
“When I was young and just getting into football, I was a big Browns fan and then one of my biggest memories in football came when I was watching the Rams-Titans (in Super Bowl XXXIV). And my dad played left tackle when I was growing up and I wanted to play left tackle, and it was only right I picked Orlando Pace (also 76) and try to follow suit with it. Both him and my dad having the same number, so it was the perfect fit.
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“But then I got up here and you know I had that number all my life, but before they could give me the number they told me I had to ask Orlando Pace if I could have it. And he gladly let me have it, which was awesome. It was amazing. I don’t know the deal with retiring jerseys and numbers, but at the end of the day, everyone knows that guy deserves that honor. So when my time is up here, I’m sure that will be the case.
“And it feels incredible, absolutely amazing for me to be a spectator of the sport and to come from where I did — I didn’t have the biggest background; my dad played football but we were the only people in my family to do it — and now be at the pinnacle of doing it, it just shows you all the little goals I used to write down for myself as a kid: running around the block, run up the stairs. Do all those things before I could even play (showed that) everything is working.”
No. 77 Andrew Whitworth
“I wore 76 in college and when I got to the Bengals, Levi Jones was No. 76. So the next option that I liked was 77 and that’s kind of how I got it. It sort of becomes part of you. It’s one of those cool things that, over time, everyone probably has people that wore 77, and I’ve had young guys, high school guys, college guys come up to me and say one of the reasons I chose 77 was because of you. That’s just a cool feeling.
“It’s something that you never really thought of when you first wore your number, but it’s really cool when it happens to you. When you get messages from kids across the country who are wearing the number because of you. And there’s some local kids who were babies when I was just getting in the league and now they’re in high school. They’ll message me saying, ‘I wear 77 because of meeting you when I was a little kid.’ It’s a surreal feeling to know you’ve had an impact like that.”
No. 79 Rob Havenstein
“It’s actually a pretty good story. I’m totally just messing with you. There is no story.
“What happened is, I was the first lineman taken in my (Rams) draft class, so they called me and they said, ‘Hey, you have to choose between 79’ and a couple other numbers I don’t even remember anymore. And I was like, ‘I’ll take No. 79.’ But honestly, it’s just a number. If anything, it’s all about the logo in front that makes the legacy.
“But it’s awesome when I see people wearing my number, especially for me, being from such a small town in Maryland. People are still following me and they’re fans. It’s really awesome to see.”
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No. 83 Josh Reynolds
“No big story. When I got here, they gave me that number. I got here, I was 11 in college. I actually had the opportunity to be 11 again, but I figured new team, new number — I’m going to start my new legacy.
“It’s awesome to see kids and fans wearing it. It’s something I’ve been waiting for my whole life. To see people be able to buy my jersey … it’s awesome. Anytime someone wears your name and number, that’s support. And you want to thank and honor that.”
No. 94 John Franklin-Myers
“The NFLPA All-Star game I played in, I was No. 94. And turns out, this was one of the few numbers that were available when I got here. So I figured I should kind of honor the NFLPA and the chance I got.
“Actually, when I was in college, I was 13. I don’t know. I just liked the number and actually at the time my girlfriend was No. 13 (in volleyball and soccer). So I wore that.”
No. 95 Ethan Westbrooks
“I tried to get it because I was born in the 1990s and I’ve got five babies. But I ain’t gonna lie. I always wanted a lot of children. Once I get married I’d like to have maybe three more. It’s pretty dope, the fact that, I mean, I felt like at one point I was one of those kids that, like, just had a dream of playing football. And the NFL. I think (playing in the) Super Bowl, I didn’t necessarily dream about that. I kind of skipped over it. That’s something you just see on TV and only say, well, one day maybe I’ll get to experience that.
“More than anything, for me, going D-II and the JUCO route, it was just a blessing to make it to the league. And I look at children wearing jerseys and I think to myself, ‘Keep that confidence.’ If that’s what you want to do with your life — or whatever it is. If you want to be the best garbage truck man, a lawyer, a firefighter, whatever it is, keep your confidence. Don’t let nobody steal you from that. Because I know when I was younger, there were a lot of teachers and people that told me, ‘Why don’t you want to be a doctor or a lawyer or judge?’ But that stuff just didn’t appeal to me.
“My junior year in college I changed that up a little. I was thinking about maybe going into nursing school after football, like a pediatrician, dealing with babies or maybe older people in a convalescent home. But the point is, it’s your dream — live it, don’t let anyone steal it. And that’s what I think of when I see kids in jerseys.
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“I had people tell me, so many times, you’re not gonna make it. My high school coach would talk bad, ‘Oh you’re not gonna make it,’ and be sarcastic and joke. Even people doing (lunch) duty at school telling me, ‘Oh you’re not going to make it. You’re not going to be anything after you leave here. You might not even graduate.’ I go back to my high school and the same (people) are like, ‘Oh I always knew you were gonna make it.’ You laugh at those cats.
“Keep your faith in yourself. Keep your head held high. And you’ll make it.”
No. 96 Matt Longacre
“No. I think a lot of it is luck now, in the NFL. I was 96 in college. Well, my first year I was 93 and I redshirted and the guy that had my number quit and so they gave me that number. No. 96. So I’ve had that since my redshirt year in college and eight years later I have the same number.
“Funny thing is, so my rookie year, undrafted, St. Louis, I was No. 63. And you know. That’s an O-lineman number. I mean in my opinion, and some people give me crap for this, but that’s a number they give someone that you don’t expect to make the team. So I definitely use No. 6 as motivation.
“I used to have it on my backpack from my rookie year, which I still have, and it ended up falling off earlier this year. But it was a little token reminder that, ‘Hey, 63, that’s what they thought of me.’ Then the guy who had 96 got cut, and they gave me 96. So it all kind of worked out. Like, the stuff I had in college, all the stuff my parents have, it still works now. So yeah, it all worked out.”
No. 99 Aaron Donald
“Eugene Sims had 97 so I picked 99, that’s what. That’s my number now. It’s crazy, surreal to see people wearing it. Because as a kid I grew up wearing Jerome Bettis jerseys. So to see kids and fans wearing my jersey, it’s a blessing. It’s a great feeling.”
Top photo of Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images