Over 200 players, coaches and executives from across the League will pay homage
to their heritage with international flag display on helmets
The National Football League (NFL), in partnership with over 200 players, coaches and executives, will celebrate the growing number of nationalities and cultures that make up the fabric of the League with an initiative that will see players take the field with international flags on their helmets.
Players across the league will proudly wear a helmet decal of the country or territory’s flag that represents their nationality or cultural heritage across Weeks 4 and 5.
In the player-led initiative that looks to showcase the global influence on the League and recognize the impact that those contributing nations across the world have had on NFL rosters today, fans will see over 50 nations and territories represented.
Players can choose to wear, alongside the American flag, the flag of an international country or territory if they lived there for two years or more, or have a parent or grandparent who were born there.
Players flying the flag for the initiative include Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals – South Korea), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions – Germany) and Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins – Samoa & American Samoa).
Coaches and executives across the League, including the Spanos Family (Los Angeles Chargers – Greece), Bill Belichick (New England Patriots – Croatia) and Paraag Marathe (San Francisco 49ers – India), will also mark their connections to countries across the world, wearing pins displaying their flag of choice on game day.
“The NFL is proud of the extensive collection of nationalities and heritage of its players across the League,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We recognize the many cultures they represent and the excitement they bring to their home fans, which ultimately helps grow our game.”
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will display the flag of South Korea in tribute to his mother, Missy, added: “I’m proud to play with the flag of South Korea on my helmet. It’s a great way to honor my mom, honor my heritage and highlight the diverse backgrounds that make up the NFL.”
Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa, who will don the Samoan flag in a nod to his parents’ and grandparents’ cultural heritage, said: “I am proud to represent my heritage with the Samoan flag on my helmet. My family and my culture are very important to me. Our name means everything, and it’s an honor to be able to represent not only my family’s name but also my Samoan heritage as an NFL player. I hope that in doing so, I can encourage kids from the islands to keep pursuing their dreams and to also be proud of their culture and where they’ve come from.”
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will display the German flag and had this to say: “My mom is from Germany, so having German grandparents, speaking German, every summer the heritage and culture has been a part of my whole life. I’m half German. It’s a part of me. I love it. In my young career, I have already been amazed to see the influence my culture and heritage has had and I’m excited to continue to see the German representation have an impact within our game.”
COURTESY NFLmedia.com
