The long-awaited announcement of who would receive the honor of wearing the No. 7 jersey after Ja’Marr Chase vacated the number with his opt-out and the coveted No. 18 jersey has finally arrived.
LSU announced Friday afternoon that senior safety JaCoby Stevens will wear No. 7, and redshirt sophomore running back Chris Curry and junior linebacker Damone Clark will each wear No. 18.
Stevens follows another great LSU safety in wearing No. 7, with last year’s honoree being All-American Grant Delpit. The senior safety has been a leader on-and-off the field all preseason.
The number has sentimental value to Stevens, as he wore it as he played high school football and AAU basketball. He also mentioned that he chose No. 7 originally because of LSU standout cornerback Patrick Peterson, who started the tradition of passing on No. 7. Other previous standouts of the jersey in years past include Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette and D.J. Chark Jr.
“What this number means to me is to be complete–to be a complete person on and off the field,” Stevens stated. “That’s how my parents raised me. To be a complete person in everything I do whether it’s in football or in life. I can go on and on about wearing this number and what it means to me. It’s a huge honor.”
Curry and Clark have been held in high regard by the LSU staff for a while, but Tiger fans did not get to see either in action much until last season. Curry played in 14 games last year, with his most notable performance being his only start against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, where he ran for 90 yards on 16 attempts while filling in for Clyde Edwards-Helaire who was nursing an injured hamstring. Clark played in all 15 games with three starts, where he finished with 50 tackles, ranked sixth on the team.
This is the third time in four years LSU has awarded No. 18 to both an offensive and a defensive player. 2017 honorees were defensive lineman Christian LaCouture and fullback John David Moore, and 2019 saw center Lloyd Cushenberry III and defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson wear the revered jersey. 2018’s No. 18, tight end Foster Moreau, was the sole owner that season. The tradition of No. 18 started in 2003 after quarterback Matt Mauck, the first No. 18, led the Tigers to their first national championship since 1958 with a win in the BCS championship game over Oklahoma.
LSU will begin its season Sept. 26 in Tiger Stadium against Mississippi State with kickoff slated for 2:30 CT. No. 7 and both No. 18s will be more than ready for the challenge that awaits.