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NFL star DeAngelo Williams is doing is part so honor the memory of his mother and support Breast Cancer Awareness all at once.

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the 32-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers running back recently covered the cost of mammograms and follow-up care for 53 breast cancer survivors. The cause is one that hits close to home for DeAngelo, who has lost his mother, as well as four aunts, to the disease. The selection of 53 women was in honor of his mother, who was 53-years-old when she passed away after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer.

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DeAngelo recently made a request to the NFL to allow him to wear pink throughout the season, beyond the month of October, and was disheartened to learn that it had been denied. When asked how it made him feel to receive the news that they’d decided not to allow him to wear the color in representation of his mother and in support of the cause in general for the duration of the NFL season, DeAngelo seemed understanding but still disappointed, according to ESPN.

“The same way it made you feel after you heard it — like, man,” he said. “He told me no. I’m assuming they are telling everybody else no as well. … It wasn’t about selling it. You know and I know and everybody else knows before I made the phone call.

It’s not just about October for me; it’s not just a month, it’s a lifestyle. It’s about getting women to recognize to get tested.”

Although the NFL has yet to release any type of public statement to address their decision amid an outpouring of backlash since news of their decision went viral, DeAngelo says the organization cited “uniform policy” as the reasoning for his denied request.

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NFL Running Back DeAngelo Williams Funds 53 Mammograms In Honor Of Breast Cancer Awareness  was originally published on theurbandaily.com