Odell Beckham approves Giants' Jalin Hyatt for taking No. 13: 'Rock out'
Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be a fan of Jalin Hyatt’s number change. Hyatt, the Giants’ rookie receiver, switched from No.
84 to No. 13 this week — the same number Beckham wore when he was with the Giants. “Rock out one three,” Beckham tweeted Wednesday night while tagging Hyatt.
Presumably, when Hyatt makes his NFL debut for the Giants, it will be against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on Sept. 10. That was the same stage and opponent that Beckham made his famous one-handed catch that dazzled football fans and pundits alike.
While it remains to be seen if Hyatt can do anything like that other-worldly catch, he will be wearing the same number as Beckham nonetheless. Hyatt is well aware of the legacy the number has in Giants lore. “What he did here — had a great career with the Giants and kind of took over,” Hyatt told reporters this week.
“I was a fan when I was young watching him. High school, college and now being here, but just with the jersey number, it’s just one of those things I wanted to start my own legacy. “I like low numbers, and if I had to choose a number it’d be 11, but it’s retired here, so can’t go with that one, so 13 would be the next option.
” But Hyatt didn’t make the decision to take the No. 13 on a whim and said he put plenty of thought into it. He even turned to his teammates to try and pick out a jersey number.
He said that the decision was ultimately his, but he polled some players in the Giants’ locker room. “I asked some of my teammates what they thought, and they told me, ‘You should do it,’ so I decided to make that change,” Hyatt said. “I can’t wait to go out there Week 1 with that jersey number and do what I do.
” If things go the way the Giants hope they do, No. 13 could become synonymous with Hyatt in the future. The third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft was one of the best wide receivers in college football a season ago.
Hyatt had 67 receptions for Tennessee in 2022 and recorded 1,267 yards and touchdowns. All were career highs for the 21-year-old. .