Auburn softball player wears jersey number with a purpose

AUBURN, Ala. (WBRC) - The Auburn University softball team is currently one of the top softball teams in the country, and there’s one player who is wearing her jersey for something greater.

Some players will wear certain jersey numbers because it might be one of their favorite numbers or maybe their favorite player dons the same digits. Look for the number 22 and you will find Auburn’s Jessie Blaine.

“Kids choose numbers for all kinds of different reasons, and one day last year I asked [Jessie], ‘Why 22?’ Auburn head softball coach Mickey Dean said. “I like to ask the kids that every now and then, and she told me, and I was like, ‘Wow.’”

Growing up in a military family, Blaine’s jersey has taken her all over the country. But she’s learned to find her own way. The No. 22 has always been more than just a number for Blaine.

Twenty-two started as a stat. On average, 22 veterans committed suicide per day. 22Kill became a foundation that focused on providing services to U.S. military veterans and first responders. Now, the average has changed and the non-profit organization is known as the One Tribe Foundation. But the mission remains the same.

“It just means that I know where I came from and it’s not a state, it’s not one high school, it’s the Marine Corps and I’m representing it,” Blaine said on wearing the No. 22 jersey.

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