Giants rookie Thibodeaux donates $50K to charity for Gano's No. 5 jersey

New York Giants first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux will keep his No. 5 jersey thanks to a big charitable donation.

Thibodeaux, who was selected fifth overall in last month's draft, donned No. 5 during his collegiate career at Oregon and wanted to continue wearing it in the NFL. Kicker Graham Gano had already taken the number, though.

"I was like, man, I guarantee if we draft him, he's going to want my number," Gano told Dan Salomone of Giants.com.

Gano agreed to give up the number if Thibodeaux made a $50,000 donation to Puppies Behind Bars, an organization that helps train incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders.

"I can be No. 9, and maybe in 10-15 years when he retires and I'm still kicking, I can get No. 5 back," Gano joked. "The opportunity to give to something is exciting, and the number is obviously very special to Kayvon. While it is special to me as well, there's a whole lot of meaning in that No. 5 to him. I just wanted to be a good teammate and also be able to support others throughout the whole process."

Gano chose No. 5 after joining the Giants in 2020 to honor his five children, who kept him going while he was sidelined for more than 20 months due to a left leg injury. He'll now wear No. 9, which he previously wore with the Carolina Panthers.