The National Football League and NFL Players Association will support October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its largest on-field presence and a national breast cancer screening-reminder and fund-raising campaign. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the initiative, called "A Crucial Catch: Annual Screening Saves Lives," encourages women 40 and older about the importance of having an annual mammogram.

Beginning on Oct. 3 and continuing throughout the month, NFL Breast Cancer Awareness games will feature:

1. Game balls with pink ribbon decals used for every down
2. Players wearing pink cleats, wristbands, gloves, chin straps, sideline caps, helmet decals, eye shield decals, captains' patches, sideline towels and quarterback towels
3. Pink coins used for the coin toss
4.Pink sideline caps for coaches and sideline personnel and pink ribbon pins for coaches and team executives
5.Officials wearing caps with pink ribbons, pink wristbands and pins and using pink whistles
6.On-field pink ribbon stencils and A Crucial Catch wall banners
7. Pink goal-post padding in end zones
8.A Crucial Catch pink glow necklaces for all fans attending the Bears-Giants game on Oct. 3

From cleats to gloves, towels to caps, NFL partners including Nike Shox Shoes, Reebok, adidas, Gatorade, Wilson, Under Armour, Cutters Gloves, McArthur Towel and Sports and Longaberger are creating pink merchandise for Breast Cancer Awareness games. Many NFL licensees also will create special pink product, with a portion of proceeds benefiting breast cancer charities. In addition to creating pink sideline towels for players, Gatorade sideline carts will feature pink ribbon decals during October. Head & Shoulders is producing a Breast Cancer Awareness ad with Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu in the P&G Breast Cancer Awareness Brand Saver. Trading-card companies Panini and Topps will produce special pink trading cards featuring facts on breast cancer; they will be available, free of charge with purchase, at stadium retail stores.

This year, the NFL and ACS have extended A Crucial Catch to the youth level. Andy Reid, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, sent a note to every high school football coach across the country offering suggestions and ideas for how schools and teams can "go pink" along with the NFL and ACS to show support for the cause. Coach Reid's mother-in-law, Virginia Garrett, passed away from breast cancer, and his late mother, Elizabeth, was a radiologist who treated many breast cancer patients.


NFL Strategy