Former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden doesn’t care that much about what jersey number he wears as he begins his career with the Green Bay Packers. But when it came time to pick one, the first round NFL Draft pick did put some thought into it.
Golden wore No. 2 at Texas and in hight school at Klein Cain High School in Houston. The speedy WR says he originally started wearing “2” to honor his grandmother. “My grandma, her favorite number was 2 growing up. She told she wanted me to represent that number,” Golden said.
So Golden decided to just double the number and pick non-traditional wide receiver No. 22. “For me, it’s just a jersey number,” Golden said. “I could wear 85 if I wanted to. I’m still going to go out there and get open … there was just meaning behind the number 22 for me. It’s got history behind it so it made sense to me.”
Golden called his grandma his “best friend” and inspiration growing up. “She helped me getting to this point,” Golden said.
The Packers picked Golden at No. 23 overall in the first round, meaning 22 teams passed on him. Another way Golden make the number fit into his narrative. He was also Green Bay’s first receiver picked in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002.
Probably the most famous WR to ever wear No. 22 is former Olympian and Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Bob Hayes. Among those to wear No. 22 in Green Bay include Mark Lee, who intercepted 31 passes over 11 seasons for the Packers, and running back Elijah Pitts, who scored 34 total touchdowns as a five-time champion during the Lombardi era. Desmond Howard wore No. 22 during the 1996 preseason before switching to No. 81 and becoming Super Bowl XXXI MVP.