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A16 sports
Friday 9 September 2022
All Rams will wear 'Choose Love' helmet decals vs Bills

By ROB MAADDI nationwide," Anna Isaac- dedicated grant-making
AP Pro Football Writer son, NFL senior vice presi- to both national and local
Every player on the Los dent of social responsibility, non-profits, the social jus-
Angeles Rams will wear a told The Associated Press. tice helmet decal program,
"Choose Love" decal on "This year, we're expand- expanded programming
their helmet for the season ing efforts to include the and content on NFL owned
opener against the Buffalo Inspire Change Change- and operated channels to
Bills. NFL teams will stencil maker Award which will highlight social justice ef-
"It Takes All of Us" and "End honor a local social justice forts across the NFL family
Racism" in end zones for changemaker from each and, of course, dedicated
the third straight season as club market. Inspire Change weeks will
part of the league's Inspire "Initiatives like NFL Votes, also continue." q
Change social justice initia-
tive.
Players can choose one of Adrian Peterson set to box
seven messages for their Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye (51) wears a "Stop Le’Veon Bell, wants to play again
helmets this year. The six Hate" social justice decal on his helmet during the team's NFL
others remain the same: football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 12, 2021,
"End Racism," "Stop Hate," "It in Indianapolis.
Takes All of Us," "Black Lives Associated Press
Matter," "Inspire Change"
and "Say Their Stories." day night's league opener, ous messages against the
The league said it added Rojas created two signa- Rams. Each club will again
the "Choose Love" mes- ture "Love" sculptures that highlight its social justice
sage because of an in- will be placed in both Los work during a regular-
crease in hate crimes and Angeles and Buffalo, unify- season game in Weeks 15
gun violence around the ing the two coasts for the and 16. On-field displays
country. Ten Black people season. The Los Angeles will include Inspire Change
were killed and three indi- sculpture will be unveiled banners, goal post wraps,
viduals were injured in a at SoFi Stadium before the stencils, helmet decals and
shooting at a supermarket game, while the Buffalo video board graphics.
in Buffalo earlier this year. piece will debut in front "As we kick off another NFL
The NFL partnered with of Highmark Stadium the season, the league's com- Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, right, visits
Colombian-American art- week leading into the Bills' mitment to social justice with Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, left, on the
ist Ruben Rojas to spread a home opener on Sept. 19. remains as present on field field after an NFL preseason football game in Canton, Ohio,
clear message of love this Bills players also will wear and in stadium across all 32 Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015. Associated Press
season. In honor of Thurs- helmet decals with vari- clubs as it is in communities
By ROB MAADDI against. I know I have the
AP Pro Football Writer ability to get out there and
Adrian Peterson still wants still play at a high level, so
to play in the NFL after he that's something that I de-
fights Le'Veon Bell in the sire, to continue to play."
boxing ring. Peterson made seven Pro
A four-time All-Pro running Bowls and was the 2012
back, Peterson is taking on Associated Press NFL MVP
the two-time All-Pro back during 10 years with the
Bell on Saturday night at Vikings. Since leaving Min-
Crypto.com Arena in Los nesota, he's played for six
Angeles. It'll be the first box- other teams, including Ari-
ing match for the former zona, New Orleans, Wash-
NFL stars. ington and Detroit.
The 37-year-old Peterson "It was a blessing," Peter-
played for Tennessee and son said about his journey
Seattle last season while around the league. "I've
Bell spent time with Balti- made some great relation-
more and Tampa Bay. Pe- ships, been able to explore
terson is fifth on the all-time some great cities, the cul-
list with 14,918 yards rushing ture there, see how differ-
and fourth with 120 touch- ent organizations move
downs rushing. and how they run the
"Still chasing that champi- show. I played with Drew
onship, and you only get Brees. I played with Rus-
the opportunity to do this sell Wilson, got to play with
once in a lifetime," Peter- Larry Fitzgerald, some great
son told the AP Pro Football quarterbacks, great play-
Podcast. "If I could con- ers just in general. It's been
tinue to play and make it a blast."
to 15, 16 years, why not? The main event features
Fifteen years from now, I'll Austin McBroom against
be sitting back reminiscing AnEson Gib, who was
about the opportunity that Jake Paul's first boxing
I had and the guys I played opponent.q