The Winston-Salem State football team may now be easier to distinguish on the field, and they have a Titan to thank for the deed.
Former WSSU defensive lineman, William Hayes, now playing in his second year in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans purchased for each player to have his name put on the back of his jersey.
Adding the names to the jerseys cost about $600.
Hayes, a 2008 fourth-round draft pick, said that he wanted his last name on the back of his jersey when he played for the Rams.
“I don’t know if it was the fact that we couldn’t put it in our budget, but I think it makes the team look more classy,” Hayes said.
“It’s easier to tell who a person is when you can see their name of the back of their jersey.”
This is the first time that senior Jaquin Sessoms, who has appeared in Rams’ games since 2007, is playing with his name on the back of his jersey. Sessoms, a physical education major from Ahoskie, N.C. said that he was surprised when he received the upgrade.
“I never had a jersey with my name on it before, unless I was creating a player on a video game,” Sessoms said.
“Playing with my name on the back of the jersey makes me feel good, but it doesn’t change the way I play,” he said.
Kermit Blount, Rams head football coach said that the addition is a plus and it gives the team a sense of pride.
“For any young man who plays in the game, it’s an honor to walk out with your name on the back of your jersey,” Blount said.
“It’s something that not every school does, and it just puts them [Rams] in a different light.”
Blount said that Hayes wanted to make the change to the jerseys during his first year as a Titan, but timing was a factor.
“The first year William went into the league [NFL], he wanted to do something significant,” Blount said.
“But by the time we got to that point, it was just late.
“I just decided let’s wait until the next year before we started talking about it again.
“Over the fall break, the winter break and into the summer, Jay Robinson, the [Rams’] equipment manager and William Hayes had an opportunity to talk, so we were able to get it done for this season,” Blount said.
Robinson told the players about the jersey transformation during camp in August.
The former WSSU student said that this tradition of purchasing the last name of the jerseys is something he would like to continue.
“I definitely plan to do it,” Hayes said. “I plan to give back as much as I possibly can. That’s not a problem.”