Drew Lock Changes Seahawks Jersey Number Out of 'Utmost Respect' for Russell Wilson
New year, new team, new number — but the same Drew Lock: humble, hard-working, and hyper-aware.
A 2019 second-round pick with 21 career starts, Lock arrived to the Seahawks as part of the March 16 trade sending Russell Wilson to the Broncos. His inaugural order of business, the slate wiped clean, was to separate himself from Wilson's legend.
“Well, for one, as long as football goes on, Russell Wilson will be very special to this place, very special to Seattle,” Lock said earlier this week, via USA Today's Seahawks Wire. “And I know what it takes to, kind of build a legacy. You know, you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t go wear 18 in Indianapolis, you wouldn’t go wear 12 in Green Bay. It’s a sign of respect for him from me, but also at the same time, I want to write my own story here."
Lock wore No. 3 in Denver. Wilson wore No. 3 in Seattle. Lock is not Wilson, nor is he trying to be. So, he downshifted by a digit — a digit that carries its own meaning.
“You know, I don’t want to fight against Russell, he’s done so many great things for this place and so many great things for the city of Seattle and the state of Washington,” Lock explained, via Seahawks Wire. “I want two to remember it as Drew Lock, not three was Russell and Drew. I want two to be Drew, and that’s just kind of been my mindset on it.
“I have the utmost respect for him and that was kind of a move in showing that.”
Lock is only the eighth player in Seahawks history to rock No. 2. More important to the 25-year-old, he can become the first QB not named Wilson to lead the franchise in nearly a decade. Per beat reporter Gregg Bell, Seattle is "for now ready to roll" with Lock as its 2022 starter.
And while his Broncos tenure went awry — "I could have played a lot better" — Lock understands it's merely a chapter in the proverbial book he's authoring from the Emerald City.
“There’s a lot of things that I need to do to show this organization that I should be the one taking those snaps,” he said, via Seahawks Wire. “But right now, nothing is promised.
“It’s just my job to come in and work extremely hard and compete for that starting job.”
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