Long before Davante Adams became synonymous with the No. 17 in the NFL, he made the No. 15 very popular among Fresno State fans.
Now the school has decided no future player will wear that jersey again.
Adams will have his No. 15 retired by the Mountain West program in a ceremony at the Oct. 15 homecoming game against San Jose State, the school announced on Thursday.
It’s a distinction long overdue for a player who caught 233 passes for 3,031 yards and 38 touchdowns in two seasons as a Bulldog from 2012 to 2013.
“It means the world because Fresno State means the world to me and the city of Fresno means the world to me,” the star wide receiver said after Raiders’ practice on Thursday at the team facility. “So for me to be obviously in the stat history book and now to be able to go down as one of the people who has their number retired, it’s a big deal. They don’t do that for just anyone, so it’s an incredible honor.”
The ceremony will occur during the Raiders’ bye week, giving Adams the chance to attend. Adams will be the ninth inductee into the circle of honor, which includes Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr back in 2017.
Fresno State athletics director Terry Tumey said the school is excited for Adams to receive this recognition.
“Davante is one of, if not the most, dynamic playmaker we’ve ever had in our proud and historic football program,” he said in a statement. “His accomplishments here at Fresno State, in addition to his ongoing remarkable professional career, are truly commendable, but who he is as a person will continue to positively impact Fresno State for generations to come.”
This week will also be big for Adams and his family. When he was traded to the Raiders, he mentioned one of the benefits would be to be able to bring his grandparents to games.
That will happen against the Cardinals on Sunday when they enjoy the game from Adams’ suite.
“They’re coming to the game,” he said. “They’ll be here, my grandma, we already got her set up at one of the MGM Resorts. She’ll be in town, and then my daughter’s birthday is next week, so she’ll be out here just hanging out in Vegas probably on the slots or something chilling, just hanging out with us. So, it’s good to have them in town.”
Injury report
Cornerback Sam Webb was the only new name to pop up on the Raiders’ injury report on Thursday. He was limited in practice by an ankle injury.
The four players who missed practice on Wednesday were all absent again on Thursday.
Center Andre James remains in concussion protocol and did not participate. The defense was missing safety Tre’von Moehrig (hip) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle), while the offense was without running back Brandon Bolden (hamstring).
Cornerback Nate Hobbs was able to get in a full practice for the second consecutive day despite a back issue.
For the Cardinals, tight end Zach Ertz and defensive lineman J.J. Watt returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s practice with calf injuries. Ertz was a full participant on Thursday, while Watt was limited.
Offensive linemen Rodney Hudson and Kelvin Beachum both returned to practice after rest days.
Wide receiver Rondale Moore missed his second consecutive practice as he tries to work his way back from a hamstring issue that caused him to miss Sunday’s opener.
Former Raiders cornerback Trayvon Mullen was limited by his toe injury for a second straight day.
Transactions
The Raiders signed wide receiver Chris Lacy to the practice squad to take the sport of Dillon Stoner, who was placed on the practice squad injured list.
Lacy, 26, was originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State in 2018, though he was with the organization for just a week early in the offseason.
Lacy has three catches for 60 yards in the NFL, all for the Lions in 2019. Lacy has also spent time with the Cowboys and Bears. He spent two weeks with the Raiders in training camp.
Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
