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NFL players can wear custom cleats to promote causes important to them this week

As has been chronicled thoroughly, the NFL’s obsession with legislating every single thing players can and cannot do includes the color and design of the shoes they wear on game days. Stray, and they’ll be fined.

But for once, the league has relented. For all Week 13 games, players can wear custom-designed cleats to highlight a cause that’s important to them. If you search #MyCauseMyCleats on Twitter and Instagram you can see dozens of examples, and here are just a few:

Devin McCourty, New England Patriots, and Jason McCourty, Tennessee Titans: The twins’ foundation, Tackle Sickle Cell, aims to raise awareness of sickle cell disease, a blood condition that affects the red blood cells. The McCourtys’ Aunt Winifred, whom they were quite close to growing up, has the disease; in the United States, sickle cell primarily affects the African-American community.

Jason, left, and Devin McCourty will promote their Tackle Sickle Cell foundation. (Getty Images)
Jason, left, and Devin McCourty will promote their Tackle Sickle Cell foundation. (Getty Images)

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: Prescott wore his cleats on Thursday night as the Cowboys got their 11th straight win. The rookie quarterback wanted to bring awareness to colon cancer, which his mother Peggy died from in 2013. A self-confessed mama’s boy, Prescott stays connected to his mother by continuing to send her text messages.

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Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans: Walker lost his aunt and uncle in February 2013; Alice and Victor Young Sr. were killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The pair had been at the Superdome just hours before, watching Walker and his San Francisco 49ers teammates play in Super Bowl XLVII. Walker has since started working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and his cleats recognize their work.

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers: Olsen typically wears only one or two pairs of cleats all season, preferring the worn-in feel to fresh-out-of-the-box. But given the opportunity to showcase his personal initiative, the HEARTest Yard, Olsen is changing cleats. In 2012, his son, T.J., was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital defect that has meant several open-heart surgeries.

Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The veteran receiver, through his Jackson in Action foundation, helps military families, with a focus on the “educational, physical and emotional health” of the children of military members. Both of Jackson’s parents served in the Army, meeting in boot camp; his father retired as a first sergeant after 21 years.

Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs: The second-year cornerback is giving a nod to his hometown, Oakland, Calif., and the Fam 1st Family Foundation, which aims to educate, empower and build self-esteem among young people in the city. Peters is a vice president of the group, which was founded by two other Oaklanders who made it to the NFL: Marshawn Lynch and Josh Johnson.

Related NFL coverage on Yahoo Sports:

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