Regardless of how you feel about the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first Super Bowl last night, the reality is that all 32 teams in the NFL are now in offseason mode. Slower times without any football in our lives await, but for now there’s free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft to maintain interest. As the Dallas Cowboys evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as a team, they’ll also have to make note of CB Chidobe Awuzie’s latest Instagram post — announcing a jersey number change from #33 to #24.
Chidobe Awuzie has changed his number to 24. Hope y'all didn't buy a 33 jersey.
H/T Chido's Instagram pic.twitter.com/NKGr41T9hW
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) February 5, 2018
Awuzie will always be remembered for his draft announcement in Philadelphia. The Cowboys’ second round pick of 2017, Chidobe was announced in front of the Eagles’ faithful by Drew Pearson — who did so in emphatic fashion.
When it was later announced that Chidobe Awuzie would wear #33 in his rookie season, it was met with some skepticism. The number had not been worn since 1961, and will forever be associated with Hall of Fame Running Back Tony Dorsett.
Now, Awuzie will be the 15th player to wear #24 in Dallas.
Cornerbacks Everson Walls, Morris Claiborne, and Nolan Carroll (the obstacle stopping Awuzie from claiming #24 in 2017) have also pulled over this jersey in team history. Drafted as a replacement for Claiborne, Chidobe Awuzie’s first season with the Cowboys showed that the Colorado product has the potential to be a cornerstone player in this new-look secondary for a long time.
The Cowboys’ defense no longer features a #33, however, as Awuzie makes the switch to #24 for 2018.