J.J. Weaver might have a hand up, or a finger up, on the competition when he gets on the football field.
At SEC Media Days this week, the Kentucky Wildcats edge rusher showed off his right hand which had six fingers on it.
Weaver was picked on as a kid for being born with six fingers on his right hand.
He spoke about how difficult it was to wear gloves growing up. In the era of NIL, Weaver and his mother reached out to Nike and both sides have partnered to create his Perfect Fit brand.
“With Nike, me and my mom, we sat down, and we talked about, something about my hand, because I used to put like, two pinkies in one glove, you know,” he said. “So me and my mom ended up contacting Nike, we ended up making a name for it called, ‘A Perfect Fit,’ because it’s a perfect fit for my hand, for the gloves. So they made me an extra six-fingered glove.”
“When I was growing up, you know I used to get picked on a lot, you know being different,” Weaver continued. “You know, people didn’t see it growing up. Plus we was kids. Kids were ugly, making fun of me and stuff like that. But I grew up, got bigger than everybody. They couldn’t make fun of me no more. Started playing football. Got into it. Loved it. Then went to the University of Kentucky, they helped me and that’s when I started expressing myself. I went to an elementary school, craziest thing ever, two kids had six fingers. They never seen me — a football player, have six fingers. I blew up ever since then.
“I end up talking to kids now, for my platform I do. My logo is, ‘A Perfect Fit,’ that’s what I call myself going around, and I’ve been helping the community out. On the 30th, I’m having a bike drive. I bought like 100 bikes for the kids, me, and my mom, and we give all 100 away. Just riding around Louisville, Kentucky on bikes.”
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As a sophomore, He was named one of the three award winners for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year.
Since joining the Kentucky football program as a four-star recruit in 2019, he has recorded 120 tackles, 10.0 sacks, 24.0 tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
The 2023 college football campaign is several weeks away as the Kentucky Wildcats are hoping to be a lot better from the 7-6 record they put up during the 2022 season.
