The NFL denied a request from Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams to "wear pink throughout the season, not just in the month of October," according to ESPN's Lisa Salters. Williams, who lost his mother to breast cancer last year, has long been a supporter of the NFL's effort to raise awareness to the disease. After being told of the NFL's decision, Williams "decided to streak his hair pink." Salters: "He said ‘Breast cancer is not just about October for me. It’s not just a month, it’s a lifestyle. It’s about getting women to recognize to get tested.’ And he said, ‘If I can help save lives, it will mean that my mother didn’t go in vain’” (“Steelers-Chargers,” ESPN, 10/12). Williams said that he was told over the phone by NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent that he "couldn't wear pink accessories throughout the season because there are no exceptions to the uniform policy." ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler noted Williams "wanted to wear pink shoes or pink wristbands throughout the year, not just during the traditional breast cancer awareness month of October, to honor his mother and those who have lost loved ones to breast cancer." Asked how the news made him feel, Williams said, "The same way it made you feel after you heard it -- like, man. He told me no. I'm assuming they are telling everybody else no as well. ... It wasn't about selling it." He added, "The hair, it's part of the uniform from the standpoint of being tackled, but it's not specific on what color it has to be or if it has to match the uniform" (ESPN.com, 10/13).
