St. Louis Rams Announce 2014 Draft Class Rookie Numbers

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Greg Robinson (Auburn) poses with a jersey after being selected as the number two overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the St. Louis Rams at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

In the world of football, there are three things that will stick with a player throughout their career: the name on the front of the jersey (i.e. team), the name on the back of the jersey (i.e. individual player’s name), and their number. In the world of the St. Louis Rams, numbers like 81, 80, 28, 76, and 39 all immediately evoke strong memories of past glory. Numbers become embedded into their person, sometimes more easy recognized by fans than the players’ actual last names; especially on the field, where 22 full-grown men are packed together in a huddled mass.

So, as these rookie start their careers in the National Football League, choosing the number that will likely stick with them for the rest of their football lives is an important step. Today, the St. Louis Rams officially announced those numbers:

Greg Robinson OT, Auburn (1st Round, 2nd Overall) #79
Aaron Donald DT, Pittsburgh (1st Round, 13th Overall) #99
Lamarcus Joyner CB, Florida State (2nd Round, 41st Overall) #20
Tre Mason RB, Auburn (3rd Round, 75th Overall) #27
Maurice Alexander SS, Utah State (4th Round, 110th Overall) #31
E.J. Gaines CB, Missouri (6th Round, 188th Overall) #33
Garrett Gilbert QB, SMU (6th Round, 214th Overall) #5
Mitchell Van Dyk OT, Portland State (7th Round, 226th Overall) #66
C.B. Bryant FS, Ohio State (7th Round, 241st Overall) #42
Michael Sam DE, Missouri (7th Round, 249th Overall) #96
Demetrius Rhaney C, Tennessee State (7th Round, 250th Overall) #65

As with most rookies, the vast majority of Rams draftees will come into the league sporting a new number. In fact, Lamarcus Joyner will be the only player wearing his same number from college. As the season goes on, some will of these number will be ingrained into our memory, while others will fade away, only to be dropped, and picked up by a future prospect. For now, try to soak them in. Hopefully, we’ll be calling out at least a couple of these every Sunday.