During Week 13 of the NFL regular season, NFL players will have the opportunity to honor causes of their choice by wearing customized cleats.
The Social Campaign called "My Cause My Cleats" is designed to help bring awareness for different causes. However, before the campaign, NFL athletes have received fines for their customized cleats due to the violation of the uniform policy.
One NFL player in particular, William Gay, was fined $5,787 for wearing
purple cleats to support domestic violence awareness month for his mother who was fatally shot by his stepfather.
Many other NFL players have violated the uniform policy, with some wearing different color cleats for causes they believe in.
1) Houston Texans’ WR DeAndre Hopkins
Photo Credit: Sneaker News
Hopkins was fined $6,000 for wearing his Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 cleats during the Houston Texans season opener. The NFL fined the wide receiver for the cleats because the shoes weren't a solid color.
2) Pittsburgh Steelers’ WR Antonio Brown
Photo Credit: WTAE
Brown was fined $9,000 for wearing baby blue cleats with his number 84 writing on them. The fine came after playing in a Monday night came against the Washington Redskins.
3) New York Jets’ WR Brandon Marshall
Photo Credit: WTAE
Marshall was fined $10,500 for wearing lime green cleats, when he was a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He wore the cleats to promote mental health awareness, where he is an advocate, during a game against the New York Giants.
4) Washington Redskins WR DeSean Jackson
Photo Credit: SI
Jackson was fined $6,076 for wearing cleats with yellow caution tape on them. The wide receiver wore the cleats to start awareness to help prevent killings (involving police brutality), during a game against the Cleveland Browns.
5) Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford
Photo Credit: NFL Live
Stafford was fined $5,787 for wearing blue cleats during a game against the Seattle Seahawks. He had previously worn a pair of black cleats, but tore them in a game against the Denver Broncos.
6) New England Patriots’ TE Martellus Bennett
Photo Credit: Sole Collector
Bennett was fined $5,787 for wearing “too black” cleats, when he was a player for the Chicago Bears. He was fined following a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
7) Seattle Seahawks’ RB Marshawn Lynch
Photo Credit: Debo Lets Loose and CBS Sports
Lynch was fined $5,250 for wearing green cleats during a game against the Houston Texans. However, Marshawn Lynch was previously fined $10,000 for wearing Skittles-colored cleats.
8) New England Patriots’ LB Brandon Spikes
Photo Credit: Mass Live
Spikes was fined twice ($7,875 and $10,500) for wearing the same red cleats two games in a row. The NFL fined the Linebacker for the cleats because during the month of October players are inspected to wear pink for Breast Cancer.
9) Cleveland Browns’ WR Earl Bennett
Photo Credit: Inquistir
Bennett was fined $10,500 for wearing orange cleats, when he was a player for the Chicago Bears. The NFL fined the athlete after a Monday night game against the Detroit Lions. Even though, the shoes matched the Bears colors, he was still fined because it violated the uniform code.
10) Washington Redskins’ CB Josh Norman
Photo Credit: Next Impulse
Norman was fined $5,000 for wearing patriotic cleats during a Sunday’s Salute to Service game against the Green Bay Packers. The former Carolina Panthers’ player was fined because the cleats were inscribed with the words “PROUD” and “BRAVE”. Norman was honoring his grandfather who served in the Korean War.
11) Oakland Raiders’ WR Michael Crabtree
Photo Credit: Sneaker News
Crabtree was fined $10,000 for wearing gold-colored cleats, when he was a player for the San Francisco 49ers. He was fined following a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in December.
