Steelers DeAngelo Williams pays for dozens of mammograms to honor late mother

“It’s about getting women to recognize to get tested”, said Williams. Williams chose the number to honor his mother, who passed away from breast cancer at the age of 53.

Williams has found a rather ingenious way to circumvent the league’s rules on the field, too, dyeing his dreadlocks pink.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams has announced that he will cover the cost of 53 women’s mammograms in North Carolina, one for each year of his mother’s life. Throughout October, players sport all sorts of pink to raise awareness of the disease that kills over 40,000 women per year in the USA alone.

Williams told ESPN on Monday night that Vincent told him there are no exceptions to the uniform policy. In an effort to bring awareness to the cause, Williams requested of the National Football League that he be able to wear pink wristbands or shoes after October (Breast-Cancer Awareness Month) ends.

Natalie Lloyd, fundraising officer at Breast Cancer Care, added: “We’re so grateful to Anne for holding a Big Pink event in aid of Breast Cancer Care”.

Breast Cancer Care is proud to be working with a range of partners to bring a few fantastic Pink products for the 2015 campaign. But once the month is over, players go back to their normal colors. We help thousands of people find a way to live with, through and beyond breast cancer.

October is met with a flurry of pink ribbons, t-shirts and banners, all hoping to bring awareness for breast cancer.

“There’s definitely a lot of hypocrisy in the NFL trying to choose a popular charity when there are other significant problems within the league”, Jagger further pointed out.