Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Josh Freeman and Punter Jeff Locke Switch Numbers
By Sarita Kelly
There will be a whole different numbers game on Sunday when the Vikings play against the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Josh Freeman and rookie punter Jeff Locke will be sporting new numbers.
Freeman, who wore No. 5 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will take Locke’s No. 12 jersey, and Locke will switch to No. 18.
Locke said Vikings equipment manager Dennis Ryan contacted him earlier this week and said Freeman wanted No. 12.
The number switch was no big deal to Freeman or Locke because of sentimental reasons.
“He’d (worn) it in high school, I think, and he liked the number a lot,” Locke said of Freeman. “He said he wanted to take it, and I was fine with going to No. 18. I actually wore No. 18 in college.”
Locke said he and Freeman plan to do an event together for a charity to be named in honor of the number switch, but said other than that the swap was pretty straight forward.
“He’s going to help me get some new jerseys for my family because they had No. 12 (jerseys), but that’s really it,” Locke said.