One of the things that sticks with me about DeSean Jackson from back in his college years is why the Long Beach native chose Cal over USC. It was simple; Jackson wanted the number one. Then USC head coach Pete Carroll wouldn’t promise him the number. Cal would. And thus he committed to Cal instead.
When he was drafted into the NFL, wide receivers didn’t wear single digit numbers. So, he chose number 10 with the Eagles. Later he wore number 11 for Washington and Tampa before returning to the number 10 with the Eagles. So, the closest he could get to wearing the number one essentially.
The rule that forbid wide receivers from wearing single digit numbers changed this season and with it Jackson finally got to don the number one when he signed with the Rams this offseason. He was released by the Rams last week and when the reports came out that he had signed with the Raiders, he posted this on his instagram account:
Photoshopping yourself in your next team’s jersey is fun and all, but hardly official. Monday, Mike Mayock officially announced Jackson had signed with the team and shortly thereafter the team put out the official release. And then Jackson posted a video on his instagram account of his locker. With his name next to the number one.
A glimpse of DeSean Jackson’s locker who will wear No. 1. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/RvdQGtsgpm
— Anthony Galaviz (@agalaviz_TheBee) November 8, 2021
That’s about as official as it gets without being actually officially announced.
Jackson becomes just the second player ever to wear the number one for the Raiders. The only other was Ronald Curry who wore it the number for one game in 2002. The QB turned wide receiver would later switch to number 89 and wear that number for the rest of his seven-year career.