NFL Won't Let Titans Linebacker Wear Special Cleats to Honor and Raise Money for 9/11 Victims

Avery Williamson, the Tennessee Titans linebacker, was planning to wear 9/11-themed cleats during the team’s home opener on Sunday. The plan was to then auction off the cleats for charity. The NFL saw this plan and immediately called Williamson to tell him that he would be fined if he wore the cleats during the September 11th game.

Williamson is still auctioning off the cleats, even if they won’t be game-worn.  (Bidding is already up to $3,000.) He’s also auctioning a meet and greet, tickets to a Titans game and an autographed jersey. So in the end, maybe he’ll end up raising more money and the NFL doesn’t get to hand out a fine. Still, what a lame move by the league. They didn’t do this to help him raise more awareness for the charity – which they did – they did this because those shoes don’t look like the rest of the shoes.