The LA Chargers drafted Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris with the No. 55 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Harris has a lot of first-round traits in his game and has many Chargers fans excited over the idea of the team hitting the jackpot on a second-round receiver yet again.
Harris jerseys are undoubtedly going to be a staple at SoFi Stadium on Sundays in the fall alongside Ladd McConkey jerseys. Hopefully, those Harris jerseys don't end up like the last people who wore his number, as Harris' chosen number does not have the best track record.
Harris is wearing the same number he wore at Ole Miss, No. 9. The last few players to wear the number have not panned out for the Bolts.
Tre Harris' No. 9 has a bad history with the Chargers
The last player to wear No. 9 was DJ Chark, who Chargers fans thought would have a similar impact on the team last season as Harris is expected to have this season.
The situations were different as Chargers fans knew they weren't going to get multiple years of production out of Chark like the hope is for Harris. However, Chark was viewed as this savvy flier signing that would fix the X receiver position for the Chargers.
News flash: it didn't. Chark hardly played last season after injuries kept him out of action to start the year. He finished with four catches for 31 yards.
Before Chark the number belonged to Kenneth Murray, who is one of the most unpopular former Chargers in recent team history. Murray never quite lived up to the expectations attached with being a first-round pick and fans definitely noticed. Murray was legitimately one of the worst defensive players on the Chargers (and in the league) during his tenure.
The previous two players to wear the number had mixed tenures with the Chargers. Kicker Nick Novak has some truly great moments with the Chargers, but in classic Chargers kicker fashion, went out with a whimper.
Drew Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and was solid during his stint with the Chargers. However, while Chargers fans love Philip Rivers, Brees will always be a what-if for fans who wonder what would have been if he never got hurt.
Only four other players in franchise history have worn the number — Bryan Wagner, Jim McMahon, Mark Herrmann and Roy Gerela. Wagner was a punter who spent one year with the Bolts, McMahon spent one mediocre season as the Chargers' QB after a long stint in Chicago, Herrman was a backup quarterback and Gerela was a kicker who went 1-7 in his only attempts with the Bolts.
It's safe to say that the No. 9 has not been great to the Chargers over the years. Hopefully, Harris can break that trend.