Sonny Styles started a new chapter in his playing career when he was drafted by the Washington Commanders, and that meant it was time to pick a new number.
The Commanders' rookie numbers were announced last week, and Styles, who the Commanders took with the No. 7 overall pick, will be wearing No. 52 for at least the next few months (numbers are subject to change once roster cuts are made after training camp). Styles admitted he is not a "big number guy," but he put some thought into which number he would wear to start his professional career, and there are a few reasons why he thought No. 52 was the right fit.
Styles is not big on wearing single digits, which is ironic considering that he wore No. 6 and No. 0 throughout his time at Ohio State. He didn't start wearing No. 0 until his senior year, and that was only because it was given to him as part of the tradition the Buckeyes have of rewarding the "Block O" jersey to the player who embodies toughness and character. He did enjoy wearing the number, but it's currently being held by cornerback Mike Sainristil, so that wasn't an option.
Styles looked to the franchise's past for inspiration, and there are plenty of reminders in the linebackers' position room. There are pictures of players like London Fletcher, LaVar Arrington, Ken Harvey and Monte Coleman hanging on the walls. Each player is among the best to wear the burgundy and gold, not just for their production on the field, but for how they handled their careers with professionalism. There's something else they have in common: they all wore a number in the 50s.
That helped Styles narrow down the decision. Then he started thinking about the greatest linebackers outside of the franchise. He grew up watching Hall of Fame linebackers Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis, who have a combined 19 Pro Bowls and 12 First Team All-Pro selections between them. They're considered to be two of the best defenders in the last three decades, and both of them wore No. 52.
But there's one more detail that played a role in Styles' choice. The two numbers in 52 equal seven, which is where the Commanders picked Styles to help them reignite their defense. Styles thought that was "pretty cool," so when it was time for Styles to walk out of the facility for his first practice as a Commander, he was rocking the No. 52 in the burgundy jersey worn by all of Washington's defensive players.
There's a possibility Styles' jersey number will change by the time he makes his regular-season debut for Washington in September, but it's worth noting that he seems committed to No. 52. It's a way for him to honor the linebackers who have come before him while also carving out a new legacy, and there are high expectations for what that legacy will look like in the years to come.
Styles has a good approach to viewing external expectations; the expectations he has for himself are already high, and anyone else's expectations can't exceed those.
"I think when you look at it like that, it's like, why would you feel pressure for anyone else?" Styles said. "If you have high expectations for yourself, and you're always attacking and striving to get better, the outside world, what they think or expect of you doesn't really faze you."
