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New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams didn’t get his first choice in jersey numbers because both of his first two options were already taken.
He originally wore the No. 1 jersey at Washington State, and he wore No. 2 at UNLV. Second-year wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk is currently wearing the No. 1 jersey, and the No. 2 jersey was already taken by veteran edge rusher Harold Landry III.
That ultimately led to Williams receiving the No. 18 jersey, which has a long history in New England. That number belonged to all-time great special-teams legend Matthew Slater.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote:
“Williams wore No. 1 at Washington State and No. 2 at Nevada, which were already taken by Ja’Lynn Polk and Landry. Williams has quickly grown to appreciate No. 18, in part because of its history in New England.
“‘The legendary Matthew Slater,’ he said, adding that he hopes to live up to Slater’s example.”
Following in the footsteps of one of the greatest players in franchise history would be a great path for a young and promising player like Williams.
He is looking to make an impact as a rookie in a Patriots wide receivers room that was one of the worst performing units last season. However, they have made strides with the addition of not only Williams, but they’ve also signed four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs and veteran wideout Mack Hollins.
The motivation that comes from wearing the No. 18 jersey should push the young wide receiver to give his all and take nothing for granted. It would be a major success if Williams could make even a sliver of the impact that Slater made in his legendary career.
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