Jalen Thornton, West Virginia D-lineman, changes to No. 97 his dad John wore for Bengals
Jalen Thornton, a former Indian Hill High School standout and current defensive lineman for the West Virginia Mountaineers, announced that he's changing his number at WVU from the No. 52 he wore in high school to the No. 97 his father, John, wore for the Cincinnati Bengals.
John Thornton played defensive tackle in 92 games over six seasons for the Bengals from 2003 to 2008 after playing his first four seasons for the Tennessee Titans.
Jalen, who earned All-Ohio Div. IV First Team honors as a senior at Indian Hill, is playing for the same school for which John starred before becoming a second-round pick in 1999.
John, a WVU Sports Hall of Famer, is an NFL agent for Roc Nation Sports.
On Aug. 18, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., the son of the former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back, announced he's committed to Alabama and intends to follow in his father's footsteps by playing for the Crimson Tide.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jalen Thornton, WVU D-lineman, changes to No. 97 his dad John wore
