NFL Releases List of Approved Names for Helmet Padding, Including Jacob Blake
The NFL has disclosed their list of approved names that they will allow players to wear on their helmet bumpers for social justice messaging. Among the names are Jacob Blake, who is accused of sexual assault.
The list is apparently fluid, in the sense that new names are being added all the time. Also among the names is that of slain retired St. Louis police officer David Dorn. Dorn was killed in early June by rioters while checking on a friend’s store in St. Louis.
The listing of Blake’s name, given his alleged violent history of sexual assault, stands in stark contrast to the league’s recent efforts to improve the game’s appeal to women through cracking down on domestic violence and promoting breast cancer awareness.
The full list of approved names obtained via Pro Football Talk, is as follows:
Ahmaud Arbery, Althea Bernstein, La’Vante Biggs, Jacob Blake, Emantic “EJ” Bradford, Rayshard Brooks, Kalief Browder, Jim Brown, Michael Brown, Dennis “Ballie” Browning Jr., Miriam Carey, Philando Castile, William L. Champman II, Kenneth Clark Sr., Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, John Crawford III, Tymar Crawford, Emerson Crayton, Jordan Davis, Amadou Diallo, David Dorn, Manuel Ellis, Curtis Flowers, George Floyd, Janisha Fonville, Cornelius Fredericks, Eric Garner, Tank Goodman, Oscar Grant, Freddie Gray, Ronald Greene, Vanessa Guillén, Akai Gurley, DJ Henry, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Dion Johnson, Jamee Johnson, Joshua Johnson, Kendrick Johnson, Bettie Jones, Corey Jones, Julius Jones, India Kager, Rodney King, Cameron Lamb, John Lewis, Shaheen Mackey, Marcus Malone, Trayvon Martin, Elijah McClain, Markeis McGlockton, Lyric McHenry, Davon McNeal, Marion Motley, Dante Parker, Fritz Pollard, Dreasjon Reed, Kevin Richardson, Jemel Roberson, Craig Rodgers, Deravis Caine Rogers, Antwon Rose Jr., Aura Rosser, Charles Roundtree, Jon Russell, Yusef Salaam, John Sanders, Raymond Santana, Antronie Scott, Walter Scott, James Scurlock, Sha-Asia Semple, Yvette Smith, Jason St. Julien, Eurie Stamps Sr., Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Alton Sterling, Enosa “EJ” Strickland, Willie Sturgis Jr., Darius Tarver, Breonna Taylor, Christian Taylor, Emmett Till, Denmark Vesey, Taiesha Watkins, and Alteria Woods.
The players are also allowed to display slogans such as End Racism and Black Lives Matter.