Former Ohio State Buckeye linebacker Sonny Styles picks a historic number for the Commanders
Former Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles has a ton of hype entering his rookie season in Washington. He added to it earlier this week.
One of the big decisions that rookies have to make when they get to their new teams is to select a number that they want to be theirs at the next level. Every kid dreams about this moment and what number they would wear if they ever made it to the NFL.
For the select few, that is their reality; it's harder than just toggling through numbers 0-99 to see what's free. You have to get lucky that the number isn't already taken, and if it is, are they willing to pay up for it?
Sonny Styles, he landed the best linebacker number option he possibly could. Styles will be wearing No. 52 for the Washington Commanders.
There is something special about the number 52 being the focal point of the defense. Ray Lewis is the first one that comes to mind as a former linebacker to wear the number.
Styles has major expectations already on his shoulders. He was probably the best pure football player available in the draft. He is an off-ball linebacker, so he fell all the way to pick No. 7 to Washington.
Had teams picked their players in a vacuum just based on skill level, Styles would have been either pick one or two. The Commanders grabbed a great football player; he just needs to prove that the Commanders were right in reaching for him at pick seven.
One of the major things that stood out about Styles' college career was that he was mature way beyond his years. He played like a sixth-year senior, and he spoke like a 10-year NFL veteran.
At Ohio State, he had a career total of 244 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks to his name. He registered these numbers by being both a safety and a linebacker. His final two seasons were incredible for Ohio State.
He is an awesome player, an awesome talent, and an awesome person. He will have the opportunity to chase his NFL dream and hopefully be the next great linebacker to wear the number 52.
Buckeye Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Ohio State Buckeyes. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.