NFL star linebacker fined $7,000 for wearing 'Man of God' headband during game
New Orleans Saints Linebacker Demario Davis was fined thousands of dollars for wearing a headband during last Sunday’s game that reads “Man of God.”
The 30-year-old Saints captain, a third-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2012 draft, took to Instagram to tell his followers that he was fined $7,017 by the league for a uniform infraction.
The infraction occurred in the Saints’ 33-27 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22. Davis wore a gold headband with the phrase “Man of God” in black lettering across the front underneath his helmet.
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The headband was visible during moments in which Davis had his helmet off.
Davis and his headband were also featured prominently in a video the Saints posted to YouTube before the Seattle game showing Davis pumping up his teammates during a pre-game huddle.
The league has historically been strict when it comes to policing what players are allowed to wear with their game-day uniforms.
According to the league dress code, players are not allowed to wear bandannas or any unapproved headwear on the field, even if they are worn underneath the helmet.
Additionally, players are barred from wearing or displaying any “personal messages” unless the messages were approved in advance by the league office.
“So, I got fined $7K for my headband. Should I continue to wear it, or nah?” Davis asked his Instagram followers, adding the hashtag “#LetThePeopleDecide.”
Davis told Fox Business this week that he will never again where his “Man of God” bandana while playing in an NFL game after he was fined by the league for a uniform infraction.
“I was not expecting the fine because I had worn the headband before, but once I realized that it was against the rules, I was in a conflicting position,” Davis explained. “Should I continue to wear it because of the messaging or would I follow the rule? Which would bring ultimate glory to God?”
A minimum fine for a second offense is over $14,000. According to Nola.com, Davis did not wear the headband in last Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Davis told Nola.com that he wasn’t “fully aware” of the NFL’s dress code policy barring unapproved personal messages. His intent, he said, was to “help fans who care about the game understand a more intricate part of the game."
In his interview with Fox, Davis said he may start selling his “Man of God” headbands to let fans “donate towards a cause.”
“That way, the fans can wear them for me,” he said.
Davis, a husband and father of four, is one of the more vocal players in the league when it comes to his Christian faith. On his Instagram account, he says above all else in his life he is a “servant of God 1st!”
The Associated Press reported in 2014 that Davis “studies the Bible and his playbook with equal amounts of urgency.”
In an interview with AP about his leadership on the field in 2014, Davis stressed that his faith is going to always be the most important part of his leadership on the field.
"I was a leader off the field on this team before I was a leader on the field. I wanted my character to speak for me before I even stepped foot on the field,” Davis said at the time. "I wanted guys to know that I put God first, I put my family second and I put football third."
Davis is known as one of the more reliable linebackers in the NFL. In his eighth NFL season, Davis has recorded 710 tackles in his first 116 career games.
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