The Detroit Lions announced some changes and cost fans a ton of money when they revealed a string of number changes for the 2025 season. While Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams had their reasons for changing their numbers, Terrion Arnold’s decision to switch from No. 0 to No. 6 had an unknown motive.
The second-year corner revealed the reason for his decision to make the change this week. While fans will have to get used to him in a new number, he had a heartwarming reason for the move and one that will honor a former teammate for the rest of his career.
Lions DB Terrion Arnold Changed Numbers to Honor Former Teammate Khyree Jackson
Arnold discussed his decision on a TikTok post where he revealed he changed numbers to honor his former teammate Khyree Jackson. Jackson wore No. 6 as Arnold’s teammate over two seasons at Alabama before transferring to Oregon and becoming a fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in last year’s draft.
Jackson never made it to the NFL, however, as he was killed in a car accident in his home state of Maryland last July. While it was too late to change his number for his rookie season, Arnold switched to No. 6 “because I wanted my brother to live through me.”
Arnold isn’t the first to honor Jackson. Vikings rookie and fellow Alabama teammate Dallas Turner took the nameplate from Jackson’s locker and put it in his own to motivate him following his death. The team also left Jackson’s jersey hanging in his locker on gamedays as well as a bible opened to Jeremiah 29:11 which was highlighted at Jackson’s celebration of life last summer and states: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Oregon also honored Jackson with a decal featuring a flying duck and the No. 5 that Jackson wore during his final collegiate season.
It’s another sign that Jackson was beloved by his teammates as someone that was working at a Harris Teeter deli counter and planning on a professional NBA 2K career before giving football one last try during the 2019 season. That perseverance gave him an opportunity to live out his dream before his life was tragically cut short and will now live on as Arnold wears his collegiate number next season.