Gordon III
Hayward JR
Ingram III
The names on the backs of Melvin Gordon, Casey Hayward and Melvin Ingram's jerseys got just a bit longer this season with the addition of suffixes.
For the players, the new additions have been a long time coming.
"It's very special," Ingram said. "I tried to get it in college but they wouldn't let me. It's dope that I got it now."
"Putting the JR on the back means a lot," Hayward added. "My last team didn't let anybody do it. So just for me to show my dad love, and to let people know I'm named after him, means a lot."
Ingram and Gordon decided to change their jerseys last year. But it wasn't until recently that they got approval for the switch.
Though they've always taken pride in playing for the name on the back of their jerseys, adding the suffixes brings a whole new level of gratification to their families.
"(I'm) just representing my dad," mentioned Gordon. "I think that was the biggest thing for me. Also, it's my actual name and it's on my birth certificate. So, I just thought I should put it on there because that's what it is."
"It means a lot," Ingram added. "It's just an honor. They started this legacy, but I'm just trying to continue it on through."
