Warren McClendon to wear Devin Willock's number in Senior Bowl

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Warren McClendon. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia OL Warren McClendon will wear number of late teammate, Devin Willock, in Senior Bowl

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 1/25/23

Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock was tragically killed in a car accident that also took the life of UGA recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. Willock was 21 years old while LeCroy was 24. Two others were in the car and injured in the accident, one of them being UGA junior offensive lineman Warren McClendon.

McClendon walked away from the crash with only minor injuries and will now have to somehow find a way to move on from the tragedy and continue to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL. The next step in that process will be playing in the Senior Bowl.

McClendon recently accepted an invitation to play in the all-star game, and Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy relayed on Twitter that the 6-foot-4, 300-pound offensive lineman will honor his late teammate in his choice of jersey number for the event.

With the blessing of Warren McClendon and his family, the @seniorbowl has assigned McClendon jersey #77 to honor his late @GeorgiaFootball teammate Devin Willock. McClendon wore #70 in his three years as starter for the Dawgs.
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) January 23, 2023

The accident was a terrible moment for the Georgia community and it was made even worse because it came off the heels of the highest of highs: Georgia winning the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The car, an SUV driven by LeCroy, crashed through utility poles and trees on the morning of January 15, just hours after UGA celebrated its championship with a parade through Athens. It was also hours after McClendon announced that he'd be foregoing his senior season at Georgia and instead entering the 2023 NFL Draft.

Willock was reportedly not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash. McClendon and LeCroy were wearing a shoulder and lap restraint. The fourth passenger, football staffer Victoria Bowles, was hospitalized with serious injuries and she also wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Both Bowles and Willock were in the back seat of the vehicle. The SUV hit multiple trees, including one that collided with the driver's side of the vehicle -- the side both LeCroy and Willock were sitting on.

Excessive speed was determined to be one of the primary reasons for the fatal accident.

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