The PLL released its top-selling jerseys from the 2021 season, and the list currently says a lot about the current state of the league. There are many familiar names on this list with some up-and-comers, too.
This list is a good indication of who the most popular players in the league are and shows which fan bases are larger than others. The Chrome and Atlas are the only teams that didn’t feature a player on this list, which makes sense when you look at the teams’ records from last season.
Let’s take a look at which players cracked the top 10 for PLL jersey sales from the 2021 season.
TOP-SELLING PLL JERSEYS FROM THE 2021 SEASON
10: Kyle Harrison – RedWoods
The lacrosse community was sad to hear that Kyle Harrison would retire at the end of the 2021 season. After nearly two decades of playing professional lacrosse, the 38-year-old legend decided it was time to hang up the cleats. Harrison is a textbook definition of what a Hall of Fame career looks like, so it just makes sense that fans wanted to get their hands on his jersey before it was too late.
9: Mac O’Keefe – Chaos
The NCAA Division I all-time goals record holder made his professional debut this year after graduating from Penn State. O’Keefe played 19 games and tallied up 13 points in his rookie season. Fans are certainly excited for O’Keefe’s future as he grows into the league, especially after a championship year from Chaos.
8: Blaze Riorden – Chaos
Blaze Riorden’s jersey sales landed at the No. 8 spot, which is surprising considering his impressive season. Riorden has been an All-Star caliber player since graduating from Albany back in 2016, but this past season cemented his legacy as one of the best goalies of all time.
7: TD Ierlan – Redwoods
The NCAA DI all-time faceoff leader proved this year that he can compete with the big dogs at the professional level. Ierlan jersey sales topped every other Redwoods players, which is impressive considering the team has Myles Jones, Rob Pannell, and Sergio Perkovic all on the same roster. Ierlan will be a problem in the league for a long time, and fans jumped at the opportunity to secure his rookie jersey.
6: Michael Sowers – Waterdogs
Sowers only played one full game with the Waterdogs this season after a head injury sidelined him during Week 1 of the season. Regardless, Sowers has the potential to be an All-Star caliber player sooner rather than later and is arguably the best player on the Waterdogs roster.
5: Grant Ament – Archers
Grant Ament is on pace to win an MVP at some point in his career as the No. 1 pick from the 2020 draft has shown he’s one of the best players in the world. Ament led the league in points (35) and assists (22) in 2021. He’s is slowly creeping his way up to becoming the face of the league in the next couple years, and Archers fans are excited, to say the least.
4: Paul Rabil – Cannons
No shocker here as Paul Rabil has been toward the top of these sorts of lists, even dating back to his MLL days. There is no question that Rabil leads the league in youth jersey sales as he is a household name for any player picking up a stick for the first time. I bet many older lacrosse fans jumped on the opportunity to own a Rabil Cannons jersey, too, as they were the team he was originally drafted to back in 2008.
3: Josh Byrne – Chaos
Many people may be surprised to see Josh Byrne crack the top three in jersey sales. He’s a phenomenal player and an even better person but isn’t the first person many people think of when buying a jersey. The Chaos fans have come out of the woodwork this season and shown that they are one of the more dedicated fan bases in the PLL. I have a feeling many Buffalo Bandits fans may also have contributed to Byrne’s recent jersey sales spike.
2: Matt Rambo – Whipsnakes
There isn’t one bad thing anyone could possibly say about Chef Rambo. Rambo has been playing professional lacrosse since 2017 and been one of the most exciting players to watch this past decade. He has a dedicated fan base of Whipsnakes, Maryland Terrapins, and Philadelphia Wings fans, which explains why his jersey sales top the charts every year.
1: Lyle Thompson – Cannons
If you’re a fan of lacrosse, you’re a fan of Lyle Thompson. Everyone is always rooting for Lyle to succeed regardless of what team he’s playing for. He has innovated the game of lacrosse and been one of most exciting players to watch in recent years. Lyle entered the PLL in dominate fashion this year, and it only makes sense for his jersey to top the charts.
Now for the other lacrosse news from the week of Nov. 23-29, 2021.
Last Week In Lacrosse
Princeton women’s lacrosse coach Chris Sailer announced her retirement following the 2021-22 season. Sailer has been the head coach at Princeton for 36 years and built one of the best programs in the country.
NLL teams across the league announced their official rosters before the season kicks off this weekend.
Warrior Lacrosse announced that Jeff Teat will join with Warrior and New Balance. Teat currently plays in the PLL for Atlas and in the NLL for the New York Riptide.
Get Caught Up on LAS Content
Miss out on what we did last week? Here’s a recap of some of our top content from the last seven days.
LEADERSHIP LITERATURE: COACHES’ BOOK CLUB
Hope College men’s lacrosse coach Mike Schanhals goes over good books to implement into your program’s book club to promote better culture and leadership.
LACROSSE GIFT GUIDE: STEALS & DEALS
We list out the perfect gifts for your favorite lacrosse player for this upcoming holiday season.
