The Deuce

The reasoning behind it is simple: There are more players on a roster than there are two-digit numbers, creating the need for some players to share a number with a teammate.

Those shared numbers could be anything No. 2, No. 13, or even No. 46.

Any number can be shared, and most of the time, one offensive player will wear the number while a defensive or special teams player also wears it. That way, the two players never overlap on the field.

But for Eastern Michigan University and the Eagles football team, two numbers will never be shared or see an overlap on the field.

The first of those numbers is No. 2, or, to Eastern Michigan football, it is known as “The Deuce.”

“The Deuce” cannot simply be chosen by a player, nor is it given to the first available player. Instead, the jersey must be earned.

A player must earn the right to wear “The Deuce” through his actions both on and off the field by possessing and demonstrating the integrity, character, and selflessness required to be an Eastern Michigan Eagle.

The number can only be worn by a senior pass catcher in honor of former Eagles wide receiver Demarius Reed, who was killed in a 2013 robbery-homicide at his Ypsilanti apartment complex during his junior season at just 20 years old.

Reed wore No. 2 during his time with the Eagles. After his death, the number was retired until 2017, more than four years later, when the team received a blessing from the Reed family for the number to once again be worn on game days and help honor the legacy that was cut short.

The jersey would only be worn by the team’s best senior pass catcher.

“The Deuce” is not the only thing that reminds people of Reed’s legacy. His jersey is forever buried inside Rynearson Stadium beneath the newly planted Crosby Field under the Block E at midfield.

A plaque also hangs inside Eastern Michigan’s locker room as a reminder to all athletes of the kind of difference they can make both on and off the field.

A Legacy of the Chosen Ten

Only 10 players have had the privilege of wearing “The Deuce” since the jersey was brought out of retirement. Almost all of those players went on to have career seasons, as if Reed himself were looking down on them and helping catch every pass.

The tradition started with Sergio Bailey II, who wore the number during the 2017 season.

Bailey went on to set career highs in both receiving yards and touchdowns while wearing the jersey before becoming an undrafted free agent and signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Blake Banham was the second player to wear No. 2.

Banham, a senior wide receiver from St. Paul, Minnesota, played in every game that season, something he had not done since his freshman year. He also recorded career highs in every receiving category while contributing on the defensive side of the ball.

The third player to honor Reed’s legacy was Matthew Sexton, who tallied 508 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 11 games before missing the final two games because of an injury.

Both totals were career highs for Sexton, who went on to pursue a professional career.

Even tight ends have had an opportunity to get in on the tradition, with Thomas Odukoya becoming the first player at his position to wear “The Deuce” in 2020.

The Dutch tight end played three seasons for the Eagles before recording 13 receptions for 120 yards and four touchdowns during his senior season.

Odukoya used the momentum from his senior season to reach the NFL and, as of Sept. 5, 2026, is signed to the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad.

Bryce Cannon became the second tight end to earn the right to wear “The Deuce.”

The South Carolina native tallied 272 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions during his senior season, both of which were career highs. Cannon played in 10 games that season before missing two because of injury.

In 2022, Hassan Beydoun was given the honor of wearing No. 2.

While wearing the jersey, Beydoun was named Third-Team All-MAC after hauling in 49 receptions for 473 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2023, the honor was bestowed upon Tanner Knue.

The graduate student recorded 50 receptions for 479 yards and three touchdowns. Knue was also named Third-Team All-MAC, earned Academic All-MAC honors, and was named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree.

Oran Singleton wore “The Deuce” in 2024 after transferring from Hutchinson Community College.

Singleton started 10 of the 12 games he played, recording 64 receptions for a team-high 639 receiving yards. He averaged 10 yards per catch and added two receiving touchdowns.

Singleton stayed at Eastern Michigan for only one season before transferring to West Virginia for the 2025 season. He now competes at Tulsa.

Before going down with an injury that sidelined him for seven games during the 2025 season, Terry Lockett Jr. wore “The Deuce.”

In the five games he played, Lockett caught 19 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He had played for Eastern Michigan for three seasons before entering the transfer portal at the end of the 2025 season.

An Improbable Climb to Excellence

The 10th man to have the honor of wearing “The Deuce” may have the most improbable story of all.

As just the second walk-on to ever wear No. 2, Nick Devereaux follows a long legacy of excellence.

The former Brother Rice Warrior walked onto the Eastern Michigan team in 2022 and recorded only one reception during his first two seasons.

In 2025, however, Devereaux became a star.

He led the team with 510 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions on 34 catches. His performance earned him Third-Team All-MAC honors after starting 10 games.

He became one of the nation’s most productive touchdown receivers, ranking 30th nationally with seven touchdown receptions. His seven touchdowns were the most by an Eastern Michigan receiver since Tanner Knue had nine in the 2022 season.

That momentum has carried into this season as Devereaux earns the right to sport “The Deuce” and lead his teammates onto the gridiron.

Through the first two games of his senior season, Devereaux has nine receptions for 97 yards.

For Devereaux and “The Deuce,” it is just the beginning.

In the end, Demarius Reed’s legacy will continue to be honored for as long as Eastern Michigan football exists.

The honor that comes with wearing “The Deuce” is not taken lightly. While there is pressure to perform every time that jersey slides over a pair of shoulder pads, it also comes with the honor of knowing that your integrity, character, and selflessness earned you the right to feel that pressure.

Every player who walks through the Eagles’ locker room understands the importance of “The Deuce” and no one who does will soon forget it.