LSU junior safety and unanimous All-American Grant Delpit will wear the prized No. 7 jersey for LSU during the 2019 season, according to a news release from the program citing head coach Ed Orgeron on Thursday.
It has become tradition for LSU to give the jersey to its most prodigious playmakers, and some of the most exciting players to don the purple in gold have worn the jersey in recent years, including Patrick Peterson, Leonard Fournette, Tyrann Mathieu and D.J. Chark.
Wide receiver Jonathan Giles is he last player to wear the number, but he opted to switch to No. 12 prior to the Florida game after a slow start to the season.
Delpit, a finalist for the Nagurski Award for best defensive player in the nation last season, finished the year with a Southeastern Conference-high five interceptions, 14 pass defenses, 74 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
“Grant is an outstanding football player and he represents our program in a first class fashion both on and off the field,” Orgeron said in the release. “Grant has worked extremely hard and has continued to develop and be a leader for our football team. He’s very deserving of becoming the next LSU player to wear No. 7.”
His performance last season earned him unanimous All-American status, something only eight other LSU football players in program history have achieved, including Billy Cannon, Glenn Dorsey, Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne.
“I understand what the number represents and how important the number is to the LSU football program,” Delpit said in the news release. “This is truly an honor especially when you consider all the great players that have worn the number. I look up to those guys and try to model my game after them – the way they played the game and the way they carried themselves off the field.
“This is a dream come true for me. I’m going to wear the number the right way and do all that I can to be a leader for this team on and off the field.”
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