Shortly after he was picked, new Detroit Lions offensive tackle Riley Reiff chose his jersey number. In college, Reiff wore the No. 77 jersey. On the Lions, that number belongs to Gosder Cherilus, who may very well be competing for a starting job with Reiff next season. With the number not available, Reiff decided instead to go with No. 71.
Reiff will wear #71 for the #Lions. #lionsdraft
— Detroit Lions (@DetroitLionsNFL) April 27, 2012
As noted by Brian Packey, No. 71 is what Alex Karras wore when he played for the Lions in the 1950s and 1960s. Like Reiff, Karras was No. 77 at Iowa, but he wore No. 71 when he became a Lion. Karras, of course, went on to be selected to four Pro Bowls for the Lions, so let's hope Reiff's career on the field mirrors Karras' in more ways than a simple jersey number.
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