Gun violence and football have sadly overlapped this year. In two weeks, several NFL players will wear cleats that raise awareness of the issue.
At least 10 NFL players are planning to wear cleats in Week 13 — during the league's annual "My Cause My Cleats" week — that will raise awareness for the gun violence issue in this country. Among the players is Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr., who himself was shot twice in an attempted carjacking this summer.
Week 13 also falls just a few weeks after a former University of Virginia football player allegedly shot and killed three of his teammates — Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry — along with wounding two others in Charlottesville.
The charity selected for this cause is Everytown, a nonprofit group that focuses on gun control and ending gun violence. Last year only one NFL player wore cleats for this cause. The growing participation this year signifies the evolving issue and increased need for awareness.
