Apparently honoring your parents and taking a stand for good are discouraged in the NFL.
The NFL is flexible about a lot of things. Players can cover themselves in tattoos. They can wear their hair in dreads, Mohawks, and Lego-inspired shapes.
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You can even throw your girlfriend down on a futon covered in guns, and the NFL will welcome you back to the game with open arms after a minor suspension.
What you cannot do, however, is honor your parents or promote a noble cause on game day, unless, of course the event is organized and sanctioned by the NFL.
The latest example of the NFL’s ridiculous hypocrisy and inconsistency: Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward was fined for honoring his father by wearing the words Iron Head on his eye black. His father, Craig Heyward, was an 11-year NFL fullback who recently died of cancer.
Personal messages are prohibited under NFL rules, and, apparently, “Iron Head” on eye black was enough of a personal message for Heyward to be fined.
Heyward wasn’t the only athlete honoring a parent last week. His teammate, running back DeAngelo Williams, dyed his hair pink and wore pink gear to honor his mother who recently died of cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so this gesture was fine by the NFL.
Not OK? Williams wanted to continue to honor his mother throughout the season by wearing pink. That was a big “nope.”
The NFL is known for its arbitrariness, so it isn’t surprising that a third Steeler was able to get a special dispensation to promote a cause close to his heart, while Williams’ was denied and Heyward was fined. Steelers cornerback William Gay is wearing purple cleats this month for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Gay’s mother was shot by his father nearly 20 years ago.
Not OK? New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall is a tireless advocate for mental health awareness. He has done more to destigmatize mental illness than any athlete in recent memory. He not only raises money for the cause, but he has been brutally honest about his own struggles. Part of his advocacy has involved wearing green, the color of Mental Health Awareness, on the field. Now that he is a Jet, he gets to wear green every week, but when he was with the Chicago Bears, the NFL refused to grant him permission to wear a color other thank pink in October, and he was fined.
At the time, Marshall said, “Football is my platform not my purpose. This fine is nothing compared to the conversation started and awareness raised.” Marshall also made a donation in the amount of the fine to raise awareness of mental health issues.
There have been other such fines over the years. After the tragic death of Sean Taylor, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark wore his friend’s number, 21, on his eye black. The result? A $5,000 fine.
Sometimes, the infractions seem unintentional and aren’t the result of advocacy and awareness. Frank Gore once received fines of $15,000 for wearing his socks too low. Former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis was fined in 2005 for wearing red socks instead of white on game day. These were official uniform socks, but he wore his red ones on a white day. Expensive mistake.
The fines collected by the league were negotiated in the most recent iteration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and go to support programs that benefit players. Currently, first-time violations for personal messages and uniform violations result in a minimum fine of $5,787. Subsequent offenses are fined at a minimum of $11,576.
It is understandable that the NFL has strict policies regarding uniforms. Players should have some room for self-expression at work. Had Heyward permanently tattooed Iron Head onto his face, he could have avoided a fine. If Williams dyes his hair pink for the rest of the season, he too can honor his parent while avoiding a fine.
There are countless stories about NFL players disrespecting women, abusing drugs and alcohol, and making other morally dubious, destructive, and self-destructive choices. There is room in the league for these players, and there should be room in the league for players who choose to use their popularity to promote noble causes, whether cancer awareness, destigmitization of mental illness, filial respect, or devotion to a lost friend.
It isn’t really a surprise that the same league that red-flagged Myron Rolle’s Rhodes Scholarship as indication of poor football character would discourage players from living out their values on the game day. Perhaps honoring your father’s legacy, missing your devoted mother, and honoring a friend aren’t compatible with the NFL way, a way that puts football above all else and views any competing interests as a threat.