Bennett switches his jersey number, Hester remains 23

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – A Bears wide receiver has changed his uniform number, but it isn’t Devin Hester.

As he prepares for his second NFL season, Earl Bennett has traded in the No. 85 he wore as a rookie for No. 80. He wanted No. 10, the number he wore at Vanderbilt, but the NFL prohibits receivers who have a number in the 80s from switching to a number from 10 through 19.

“It wasn’t anything specific,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to change my number. I feel like ‘80’ fits me a little bit better. I think it’s in my character. I didn’t really think ‘85’ really fit it.
“Number 80 has so much tradition behind it with Jerry Rice and Cris Carter and those guys, and hopefully I can become one of those guys and be a legend like they were.”
Prior to Bennett, the last four Bears players to wear No. 85 were tight ends: Keith Jennings (1991-97), Alonzo Mayes (1998-2000), Kaseem Sinceno (2000) and John Gilmore (2002-07).
The last four Bears to wear No. 80 were speedy wide receivers: Curtis Conway (1993-99), Dez White (2000-03), Bernard Berrian (2004-07) and Brandon Lloyd (2008).
Wide receiver Bo Rather wore No. 80 from 1974-78 because the number looked like his first name.

Hester, meanwhile, will remain No. 23. While the NFL requires wide receivers to wear numbers 10-19 and 80-89, the league ruled that Hester doesn’t have to switch because No. 23 is an eligible number that will allow him to play receiver without reporting to the referee.
The Bears also assigned uniform numbers to their nine draft picks and nine undrafted free agents.

The draftees will wear the following numbers, though some likely will change before the regular season: DL Jarron Gilbert (73), WR Juaquin Iglesias (17), DE Henry Melton (69), CB D.J. Moore (30), WR Johnny Knox (13), LB Marcus Freeman (58), S Al Afalava (46), G Lance Louis (60) and WR Derek Kinder (83).

Undrafted free agents will wear the following numbers: FB Will Ta’ufo’ou (45o), S Dahna Deleston (45d), CB Woodny Turenne (47), RB Tyrell Fenroy (48), LB Mike Rivera (59), G Johan Asiata (62o), LB Kevin Malast (62d), G Dennis Conley (70) and WR Eric Peterman (86).The draft picks and undrafted free agents are slated to arrive at Halas Hall on Thursday and practice Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the Bears' rookie minicamp.