Dreads have always been a part of the African-American heritage since way back. And since the NFL consists of around 58 percent of players from the African-American community, seeing dreads waving on the football field isn’t new.
Despite the chances of being tackled by their hair, the NLF players flaunt their dreads proudly as it is part of their heritage.
Today, we will talk about a few NFL players known for their gameplay and dreads.
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald, the wide receiver of the Arizona Cardinals, is one of the many NFL players with strong dreads.
Fitzgerald, who started his journey in the NFL with the 2004 NFL Draft, is one of the renowned NFL players who grew their dread so long that it covered their back and took all pride in it.
Though he retired from the NFL in 2020 after playing for sixteen seasons, fans still remember his game and his dreads.
Fred Warner
After the skilled wide receiver, another NFL player with dreads is the middle linebacker of the San Francisco 49ers, Fred Warner.
The linebacker, who got into NFL during the 2018 Draft, initially kept dreads for the aesthetic look.
However, later he learned about his history and community, and his fashionable dreads became more meaningful.
Since then, Warner has kept his dreads during all the games and continues to play for the 49ers.
Jadavecon Clowney
Dreads are a glorious part of the heritage, but they can also be problematic, and Jadavecom Clowney knows this firsthand.
Clowney, who has played for more than four NFL teams and is currently with Cleaveland Browns, is known for his fierce defense and dreads.
He has kept dreads for a long time and also has experienced his opponents tackling him with his dreads. On more than one occasion, his opponent pulled him by his hair.
However, there are also occasions where he has done the same. He has also tackled his opponent by their dreads, as the rules consider hair a part of the jersey.
Todd Gurley
While still talking about NFL players with dreads, the next name is the former running back of the Los Angeles Ram, Todd Gurley, who has been playing as a free agent for the last two years.
The running back is a three times All-Pro who has beautiful and robust dreads, which his fans love to see on the field.
Mike McKenzie
The list of the NFL players who take pride in their dreads continues with veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie.
McKenzie started his journey in the NFL during the 1999 NFL draft, where he got picked by the Green Bay Packers.
He played five seasons for the Packers before joining New Orleans Saints for five more seasons. Though the cornerback retired from NFL a long ago, people still miss him and his dreads on the field.
Josh Cribbs
Another name on the list following the long tradition of keeping dreads among NFL players is Josh Cribbs.
Cribbs played as a wide receiver and return specialist for four of the NFL teams, out of which he played the most seasons for the Cleveland Browns.
He took his retirement in 2017 but left an everlasting image with his games and also with his well-kept dreads.
The wide receiver always kept his dreads proudly despite the chance of getting tackled.
Bob Sanders
The last NFL player with dreads on the list is the Superbowl-winning safety, Bob Sanders. Sanders was a fierce player on the field who played for Indiana Colts for six seasons and then signed a year-long contract with San Diego Chargers.
The NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2017 was part of many great games, and so were his shoulder-length dreads, which still come to the mind of his fans whenever they think of him.
Many more NFL players besides the above-mentioned have dreads as a part of their heritage. Though there are always chances of their opponent tackling them with their hair, these players still keep dreads and flaunt them proudly.
Dreads are a fashion statement for people with no African-American heritage. However, for the players with African-American lineage, these same dreads are part of their identity, which they flaunt with all pride.
