October is National Breast Cancer Month, a month-long recognition of a cancer that affects one in eight women in their lifetime. Every October, the National Football League recognizes it by wearing pink socks, pink gloves and pink towels. The referees even have pink whistles.

DeAngelo Williams, a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, wanted to wear pink year-round to show support for his mother, who passed away last May from breast cancer. The NFL told Williams that wearing pink was a violation of the uniform. In response to this, Williams dyed the tips of his hair pink.

Williams is also paying for 53 mammograms for a hospital in North Carolina. His mother was 53 when she passed and he played for the Carolina Panthers for nine seasons, so this is something very near and dear to his heart.

I think it is wrong for the NFL to deny Williams to wear pink throughout the season for many reasons. For one, Williams' mother just passed away, and all he wants to do is honor her by wearing pink. He's not drastically changing the uniform or causing a distraction to the other players. He just wants to wear pink throughout the year in remembrance of his mother.

I think it'd be even better if the NFL recognized a different cancer or disease every month. Yes, breast cancer is something great to recognize and remember, but what about autism, world hunger, or alzheimer's? I think it would be great for an organization as large as the NFL to recognize something different every month and allow players to show support for those suffering.

Doing this would definitely bring back a lot of positive light to a league that has gotten bad press lately. With Tom Brady's Deflategate scandal, the harsh criticisms that Commissioner Roger Goodell has received, as well as athletes getting arrested for various crimes, bringing awareness to important causes would help the NFL refurbish their brand.