After suggesting to Kay Adams on the "Up and Adams" show that nothing should be read into his Instagram username change to "1deebosr," San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is indeed changing his jersey number from 19 to 1.
Both Samuel and the 49ers announced the change on Tuesday.
New threads🔥@19problemz pic.twitter.com/SMq8P8hbOb
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) March 12, 2024
Samuel wore No. 1 during his collegiate career at South Carolina before the 49ers selected him as a second-round draft pick in 2019. The receiver's back nameplate will now read "Samuel Sr." The 49ers player has a son named Tyshun, which also happens to be Deebo's given name.
Last season, Samuel made 15 starts and recorded 60 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns. Additionally, he contributed 225 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 37 carries, per Pro Football Reference.
In his five NFL seasons, the 28-year-old Samuel has caught 283 passes for 4,122 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has also amassed 1,007 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns on 160 carries in 66 game appearances, with 58 starts. Samuel earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2021.
Samuel and the 49ers are coming off a Super Bowl defeat, the receiver's second during his career. When Adams asked him about the loss, Samuel responded, "Now, I've kind of put it behind me, about to get back in the lab here in a week. ... Two in five years, it's pretty rough. Being right there, the two that we've been in, and just falling short, it's just so heartbreaking. But at the end of the day, you got to move on. And it's the next year, and we're just going to continue to grind and do what we set out to do."
