Inside the numbers: Georgia football players explain why they choose their numbers

In today's world of college football recruiting, a player can be swayed to a program by the promise of their favorite jersey number.

When Kirby Smart arrived as a player at Georgia in the mid-1990s, there was no discussion with coaches about what number he would be.

"I knew nothing about 16," Smart said. "That’s just what they gave me, and I didn’t go in and complain about it, I promise you that."

Now as Georgia's head coach, Smart and the Bulldogs have a system they use to divvy out player numbers.

The seventh-year head coach didn't elaborate on the system because "that stays in the family, because if I told you that every coach in the country would use that against me in recruiting."

Georgia Football: Big tests ahead for UGA football as reigning national champs hit bye week unbeaten. Again.

But Georgia likely isn't promising players numbers because there could be bigger issues with the recruit if that is their lone focus.

"You know right away that it’s going to be a battle if he’s more worried about the number than he is how to get on the field," Smart said. "Not to say that we don’t talk to guys about the number if they ask about it, but I don’t think many kids now days, especially with NIL, put it that high on their priority list what their jersey number is."

Whether it's a longtime number or one given to the player when they first step onto campus, each player's number has a meaning.

Here's the stories behind some of Georgia football's jersey numbers.

Stetson Bennett and Kamari Lassiter's lucky number 3

When Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett started to become a legendary walk-on quarterback portraying Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield prior to the 2018 Rose Bowl, he was scampering around on Georgia's scout team as No. 22.

Growing up in Pierce County, Bennett was always No. 3, but as a freshman he would have worn any number allowed by the NCAA as long as it was on a Georgia uniform.

Bennett transferred to Jones College in Mississippi and wore No. 5 before getting a last-minute scholarship offer on early signing day 2018 to rejoin the Bulldogs.

Upon his return in 2019, he sought advice from a younger brother — Bennett can't remember if it was current Bulldog freshman walk-on Luke or youngest brother Maverick— who chose his current number, 13, because it had a 3.

"I came back and 3 was gone. Three was my number in high school and I always loved 3," Bennett said. "They had 13 and something else. I asked Maverick, my little brother, and he was like, yeah, go with 13. Maybe it was Luke? I can’t remember it was a long time ago."

Article continues below

Like Bennett, cornerback Kamari Lassiter grew up with the number 3, the same that he wears today with the Bulldogs.

The number is part of him and easily recognizable, and the sophomore could soon benefit in the current nature of name, image and likeness laws.

"I’ve been playing football since I was 3 years old and that was one of the first numbers I had and it just always stuck," Lassiter said. "Some of my friends in high school started calling me K3 and I liked it. I’ve just started branding it."

Same number, no trouble

Linebacker Rian Davis and tight end Darnell Washington share the number zero.

Both are considered juniors but, with an additional year of eligibility due to COVID, Davis entered UGA a year earlier (2019) than Washington.

Because of Washington's 6-foot-7, 270-pound frame, he oftentimes kids Davis for being five inches and 40 pounds lighter.

That doesn't sit well with the older Davis.

"Everybody likes to call him Big 'O' and then they start trying to call me Little 'O', but I don’t like it," Davis said in a lighthearted manner. "Darnell likes to call me Little 'O', but I call him Little 'O', because I’m older."

At Wekiva High School in Apopka, Fla., Davis was nicknamed Trouble more for matters that occurred off the field.

When he arrived at Georgia, academic issues and injuries plagued him throughout his first three years. He was rehabbing an ACL tear when he entered the program, then he tore his labrum as a sophomore before suffering a quad tear last season.

He considered walking away from the game during the COVID season before Smart told him that it was best for him to stick with the team.

Davis was No. 12 for his first two seasons, but he "wasn't really feeling this number."

When he had a chance to change, he learned that zero was available for a defensive player. It felt like the right fit.

"I was like, all right, if I get zero we’re going to have zero problems out there," Davis said. "We’re going to have zero busts, zero missed tackles. That’s my goal to have zero busts out there, zero missed tackles and just eliminate all mistakes."

Then a reporter asked: "And zero injuries?"

"Yes, sir," Davis replied. "Yes."

'Rocking with it ever since'

Many times, a player is assigned a number and they want to make it their own.

Senior safety Christopher Smith was given No. 29 as a freshman and he never considered that it would become unique to him.

"When I got here, I never really asked for a number or anything, and it’s crazy," Smith said. "I just wanted to get in the door and be able to play. Coaches gave me 29 and that’s what I’ve been rocking with ever since."

For Georgia fans, when they think of the number 29, they're reminded of Smith's pick-6 interception last season that helped Georgia to a season-opening win over Clemson and ultimately the national title.

In the offseason, Smith considered a change to No. 7 or Nos. 21, 6 or 1, digits he had when he was younger.

But he's glad he remained with what he's always had at UGA.

"A lot of my friends were just saying that I might as well stick it out," Smith said. "'That's just who I am, that’s a part of me now and my legacy at Georgia."

Middle linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson says there's no significance to his number, 10, but he wants to continue the tradition set by players who wore it in prior seasons.

"It just kind of fell in my lap, but I guess it kind of fits me," Dumas-Johnson said. "I remember the other linebacker, Thomas Davis, wore it here. I feel as though it’s a special number to the linebacker group, so I’m trying to carry it on."

Zion Logue wears No. 96 for his grandmother, whose birthday is on September 6.

Tykee Smith has gone back and forth throughout his career, but 23 was an older sibling's number.

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was 81 for two seasons but wanted a lower number. No. 1 was available when George Pickens went to the NFL.

"There’s no reason," Rosemy-Jacksaint said. "It was just a number that was open so I decided to take it."

Rosemy-Jacksaint wears the same number as Dominick Blaylock wore in high school, but the junior receiver, who had two ACL tears in the past two seasons, was given No. 8 when he arrived at Georgia.

Last week, Blaylock caught his first touchdown pass since the 2019 Georgia Tech game. The number, he says, will forever be his.

"It was just first come, first serve when I got here freshman year," Blaylock said with a wide smile last Saturday after Georgia defeated Auburn. "It means something now. It’s the lucky number 8."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football players explain the meaning to their uniform numbers