Broderick Jones plans to honor Devin Willock, Chandler LeCroy with NFL Jersey
The memories of Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy will live on every time Broderick Jones takes the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Willock, a Georgia offensive lineman, and LeCroy, a recruiting staffer, were killed in a car accident hours after Georgia’s 2023 National Championship victory parade. Tributes throughout the football world have been shown since the tragedy, and Jones’ is one that will stay with him for at least as long as he plays in Pittsburgh.
After being selected No. 14 overall by the Steelers in the first round, and it did not take long for Jones to reveal his plan to honor the fallen members of his team.
“It’s in honor of my teammate that passed,” Jones said, via team reporter Teresa Varley. “He wore No. 77. No. 59 is not available. No. 77 was another option. I felt like I would do that for him, his family and me.”
Jones wore No. 59 during his Georgia career, where he started every game for the Bulldogs this past season en route to first-team All-SEC honors one year after starting four games at offensive tackle in 2021. Jones went on to redshirt the 2020 season as a true freshman but wound up in the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman following the injury to Jamaree Salyer.
In 2022, Jones was one important part of a unit that allowed 0.6 sacks per game, which ranked first in the SEC and No. 4 in the nation. On top of his stellar play on the field, Jones also opened some eyes at the NFL scouting combine in March, Jones ran a 4.97-second 40-yard dash and had a 30-inch vertical jump.
Before Georgia, Jones played high school football at Lithonia (Ga.) High School, where he was a Five Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 9 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.
Even after all of his success, Jones isn’t forgetting where he came from and is showing his love for Willock and LeCroy. He didn’t have to do that, but such a kind gesture is something that would tug on the heartstrings of any fan, Bulldogs or not.