Derek Stingley Jr. honored to wear No. 7
BATON ROUGE, La. (BVM) — Over the years, wearing the No. 7 jersey for the LSU football team has become a unique tradition. Whoever wears the jersey has usually displayed special qualities as a leader on and off the football field. In addition, those that have worn the jersey have shown they can make game-changing plays on the field.
Players such as Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, and D.J. Chark have put on the jersey. This past year, JaCoby Stevens wore the No. 7 jersey.
This year, two-time All-American Derek Stingley Jr. will be slipping on that jersey.
Over two seasons, Stingley Jr. has made 65 total tackles (50 solo tackles), six interceptions and 20 passes defended. He also has recovered two fumbles and has forced another.
“It’s an honor to be part of the legacy of players that have worn the number 7 jersey,” Stingley Jr. said in a press release. “I’m looking forward to upholding the tradition and the standard of play that has been set by the group that has come before me.”
The Legacy Continues @JrStingley ✖️ 7️⃣Era pic.twitter.com/JtZUkDtxXr
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) May 11, 2021
As a Baton Rouge native, Stingley Jr. joined a long list of high school players from Louisiana to join the Tigers. He became the first true freshman in LSU history to start every game of his first season.
Now, Stingley Jr. steps into a leadership role for Tigers. A surefire first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Stingley will look to make the most of his season wearing the iconic jersey.
“Derek is very deserving of following in the footsteps of some of the great players in LSU history in wearing the No. 7 jersey,” LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron said in the press release. “Derek is an outstanding young man from right here in Baton Rouge who represents our program with tremendous character and a desire to make all of those around him better. He inspires his teammates to achieve great things on and off the field. He’s most deserving of wearing the No. 7 jersey in 2021 for the LSU Tigers. I know he will wear it with pride and will represent it well.”
Baton Rouge’s Own
24/7 pic.twitter.com/TUpPTk2NwF
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) May 11, 2021
