The No. 18 jersey at LSU is awarded to the player who best represents leadership, character and dedication, and embodies what it is be a great teammate and all the intangibles the coaching staff look for in a player.

Lions defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo was awarded the jersey for the Tigers his final season at LSU in 2023 before being drafted by the Lions in 2024.

Wingo will have another No. 18 LSU jersey honoree in the Lions locker room with Detroit signing veteran linebacker Damone Clark on Tuesday. Clark wore No. 18 at LSU in 2020 and 2021.

"No. 18 means a lot to me," Clark said Tuesday after signing his contract with the Lions. "It's an honor to be able to represent the No. 18 with the guys that wore it before me. It exemplifies the standard of LSU both on and off the field. That's what I live by."

Clark was a fifth-round pick out of LSU in 2022 by Dallas and has carved out a productive four-year career both on defense and special teams. He spent the second half of last season in Houston after being waived by Dallas mid-November and claimed by Houston the next day. Clark was among the NFL leaders with 18 special teams tackles last year.

Clark's most productive season on defense came in 2023 when he got a chance to start all 17 games. He recorded 109 tackles (70 solo) and four tackles for loss. He's appeared in 55 career games (26 starts) and has totaled 190 tackles, six tackles for loss, four pass defenses and two forced fumbles.

Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard played his college football at LSU and was the director of player development for the Tigers in 2020 when Clark was a star linebacker there.

"He was a guy that would give us coaching points," Clark said of his and Sheppard's time together at LSU back in 2020. "He wasn't the linebacker coach, but he still went outside of his job helping the linebackers in whatever way he could."

The two have stayed in contact over the years and Clark said he's excited to get a chance to play under Sheppard and continue to grow as a player under his tutelage.

"You see guys that Shep has coached and developed. Like, who wouldn't want that to be them?" Clark said. "Just to get that opportunity to get that coaching and you going out on Sundays and you're out there flying around and making plays. That's honestly what it's all about. Coaches, they're going to do their part and we have to do our part."

The Lions return All-Pro MIKE linebacker Jack Campbell and veteran SAM linebacker Derrick Barnes, but will have to replace starting WILL linebacker Alex Anzalone, who left to sign with Tampa Bay in free agency. Clark and returning veteran Malcolm Rodriguez are two potential candidates to fill the role.

"Anything for me to help my team get the victory," Clark said Tuesday of what role he might have in Detroit. "Obviously, everyone wants to play on defense, but that comes with your role. My role last year, it decreased on the defensive side, but it increased on the special teams side, and that's OK. You have to make the most of every opportunity and you got to put that on the forefront of your mind."

Clark embraced his increased special teams role the last two seasons and has been one of the league's better players on teams. Depending on the role he can carve out on defense, Clark's addition could also be a big boost to Detroit's special teams. He said Tuesday he's looking forward to whatever role he can play that leads to Detroit winning more games in 2026.