By Police1 Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Titans’ linebacker Avery Williamson had plans to wear his custom Sept. 11 cleats for Sunday’s NFL season opener against the Vikings to honor the fallen.
But when the NFL told him he’d be fined for violating uniform code, he decided against it, according to WBIR. After Williamson’s story went viral, he changed his mind at the last minute Saturday before the game and wore them.
Now, teammates and four New York and New Jersey police associations, including the union that represents the officers who patrol the World Trade Center, have offered to pay his fines, the publication reported.
“I just felt like I got so much support across the country, and especially when the New York and New Jersey police unions said that they would pay my fine, that really meant a lot,” Williamson said. “So I felt like if I didn’t wear them, I just wouldn’t have felt good about it. I felt like I had to do that, just for myself and to represent the people that were lost and the people that do their jobs every day to protect us. I feel like it was just a duty.”
Williamson decided to auction the cleats to benefit Operation Warrior Wishes, along with a meet and greet, two VIP tickets to a Titans home game and an autographed jersey.
“I’m going to try to get a couple of veterans to come to a game,” Williamson said. “I feel like just reaching out to people, helping them, somebody that’s served our country, I feel like that’s a great honor, so I wanted to do something nice for them. I feel like it’s a great cause.”