The NFL in early December will allow players to display a charitable cause on their feet, and with nearly two months to go, the NFL said that 428 players have "signed up to wear shoes that highlight a charity," according to Christine Brennan of USA TODAY. The Players’ Tribune is "vetting the charities and also publishing stories about the players and their causes as well as player bios in the form of electronic player cards." The NFL in Week 13 will "not only allow but also encourage its players to display a charitable cause on their feet." The league said that while the one-week-only move is coming in the "midst of numerous player national anthem protests, it is not a reaction to them." NFL Senior VP/Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson said, "There will be people who will say we came up with this idea yesterday because of what’s happening around the national anthem. ... That's not the case at all. This is an opportunity we've been talking about and planning for more than a year." Panthers LB Thomas Davis said that he will be "wearing red cleats featuring the logo of his Defending Dreams Foundation, which works with children in need." He is "hopeful that a handful of his teammates also will wear red shoes that day in honor of his cause." Isaacson: "We don’t have the expectation that every player will be supporting a cause in the same way or even have found a cause yet that they are passionate about. But we are very aware of the millions of eyeballs watching these games, so just think about how many stories, social issues and causes are going to come to light with this campaign" (USATODAY.com, 10/5).
THE RIGHT STUFF: ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler noted Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams has "partnered with Steel City Cotton Works for the sale of 'Pittsburgh is Stronger than Cancer' shirts." All proceeds "go to the DeAngelo Williams Foundation to help women get free mammograms" (ESPN.com, 10/4).
