WATCH: 49ers’ Javon Hargrave receives a ‘key to the city’ as his High School in NC retires his number
Hargrave's high school retired his football jersey number.
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San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (98) during a press conference before Super Bowl LVIII at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort (Via Imago)
Javon Hargrave came from the small town of Salisbury, North Carolina, where he played football for North Rowan High School. Then he moved on to play for the South Carolina State Bulldogs, where he redshirted as a freshman.
The defensive tackle starred for the Bulldogs for four seasons (2012–2015), amassing 210 combined tackles and forcing eight fumbles and two returns. Hargrave joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 as a third-round pick.
After spending four seasons with the Steelers, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. The biggest moment of his NFL career arrived when the Eagles faced the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 Super Bowl, eventually losing despite recording five tackles.
Before the start of the next season, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers and reached the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year. However, Hargrave’s six tackles weren’t enough to earn him his first ring due to a mistake by the 49ers coaching crew. In 112 starts in the NFL, the 31-year-old registered 373 combined tackles with 44.5 sacks.
There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though he failed to win a championship ring, Hargrave received something equally valuable. The two-time Pro Bowler’s school, North Rowan High, invited him and immortalized his name by retiring his 52-numbered jersey.
Not only that, Hargrave received a key to the city from the local government. They gathered inside the school basketball court to felicitate him with the honors.
Javon Hargrave was injured during the Super Bowl
The 49ers lost their second Super Bowl in five years. But according to Cam Newton, they could have won the game. Unfortunately, not being aware of the new OT rules came to bite them back.
Yet they fought till the bitter end, even with injured limbs. 49ers General Manager John Lynch told reporters on Tuesday that Hargrave suffered a torn thumb ligament. Lynch revealed that the tackle played through the injury and significantly impacted the game.
During the 2023 season, he had 44 tackles and seven sacks in 16 games. Hargrave also had 10 tackles in the playoffs, including six in Super Bowl VIII. He had signed a four-year, $84 million contract. In 2023, he earned a base salary of $1.16 million, which would increase to $8.8 million in 2024, $19.9 million in 2025, and $21.6 million in 2026.
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Ishan Misra
(3023 Articles Published)