Cooper Kupp won’t just be wearing a new Rams jersey next season. He’ll also be sporting a new jersey on the front and back.
Kupp announced on social media Monday that he’s surprisingly changing his jersey number from 18 to 10. It’s not a completely random decision by Kupp, though. He wore No. 10 in college at Eastern Washington, which was a tribute to the No. 1 jersey that he wore in high school. It was a number that his coach told him he earned, even though he didn’t want to wear it.
Now, Kupp is going back to No. 10. Here’s the message he shared on Twitter explaining his decision.
1 ➡️ 10 ➡️ 18 ➡️ 10 pic.twitter.com/Rjq3JmPeEP
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) May 12, 2020
As Kupp noted in his message, the number 10 wasn’t available when he was drafted in 2017, as it was worn by Pharoah Cooper at the time. With Cooper no longer on the roster, Kupp can reclaim the number he wore in college.
Kupp is obviously a very popular player among Rams fans since being a third-round pick in 2017, and thousands of his No. 18 jerseys have been sold.
So to make it up to those fans who bought his jersey this year, Kupp is doing something special. Fans who show proof of purchase for a jersey bought between Jan. 1 and May 10 will be able to send their jersey in, for it to be repurposed into a bespoke garment designed by Kupp’s wife.
Fans who participate will also receive a personalized message and autograph from Kupp.
My family and I can’t begin to describe how much we appreciate you, Rams Nation. But here’s a start. @RefriedApparel pic.twitter.com/d2ddMGMp5o
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) May 12, 2020
As you can see in the graphics above, Kupp also has a new logo. It’s shaped like a K, but the number 10 can also be seen in it.
Kupp is a class act and has been since he was drafted by the Rams. As difficult as it is for a player to change his number, his offer to fans is commendable. And he picked a good time to make the switch, since the team will be getting new uniforms soon for fans to buy before the 2020 season.
Josh Reynolds also changed his jersey number this offseason, switching from No. 83 to 11 – also his college number.