Broderick Jones will wear No. 77 with the Pittsburgh Steelers to honor his former Georgia teammate and roommate Devin Willock, who passed away earlier this year in a car crash in Athens, GA.

“They told me the number was available, and I just wanted to show my respects by taking that number and letting it live through me,” Jones explained after being drafted with the No. 14 overall pick in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Devin Willock wore No. 77 for the Bulldogs; he and team recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed on Jan. 15 in a car accident. It happened just hours after the team celebrated their second straight national championship with a parade in Athens.

“According to police, LeCroy was driving an SUV at approximately 104 mph when it left the road and hit two power poles and several trees. Police said her blood alcohol concentration was .197, about 2½ times the legal limit in Georgia,” wrote Pryor on Friday.

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“LeCroy allegedly was racing a vehicle driven by former Georgia star defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who was selected Thursday night by the Eagles with the No. 9 overall pick. Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing last month and was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service and completion of a state-approved defensive driving course.”

The 21-year-old Broderick Jones is the first offensive tackle drafted by the Steelers in the first round since Jamain Stephens in 1996, per Pryor. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2022, not allowing a sack in 445 pass blocks at tackle in his final season with the Bulldogs.

After three seasons in Georgia, he will begin his NFL career in Pittsburgh after winning consecutive national championships with the program.

“I just felt like my job was finished at the University of Georgia,” Jones explained. “Two national championships, SEC championship, all-SEC — I felt like I did all I could there. I feel like there was nothing left for me to do there, so it was time for me to move on to bigger and better things.”