More than two dozen Indianapolis Colts players shaved their heads in support of coach Chuck Pagano, who is beginning a second round of chemotherapy in his battle to beat leukemia.
Quarterback Andrew Luck and punter Pat McAfee were two of the players to shave their heads in a show of support, reports USA Today . McAfee stated:
“It’s all for Chuck. We all don’t look good. I’m not built to have a bald head. I’ve got a huge sniffer. But we all love our coach so much that we want to show unity and let people know we’re all in this together. It’s a really cool thing.”
David Thornton organized the event after Tuesday’s practice. Thornton, the director of player engagement, arranged for a barber to wait in the hallway as players walked off of their practice field.
McAfee and Cory Redding, the team’s defensive end, were the first Colts players to shave their heads. McAfee recalled, “Then it kind of caught on like wildfire.”
After McAfee and Redding, placekicker Adam Vinatieri, safety Antoine Bethea, running back Donald Brown, wide receiver Nathan Palmer, cornerback Darius Butler, linebacker Kavell Conner, offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo, guard Joe Reitz, and long-snapper Matt Overton followed suit.
Yahoo! Sports notes that McAfee added, “By the time Thursday comes around I think you’re going to see a very large number of bald-headed people playing for the Indianapolis Colts, all in support of our coach.”
Pagano has been on leave indefinitely since he was diagnosed with leukemia on September 26. The team has shown incredible support for their leader and have gone 4-1 since. While they may not be the most talented team in the NFL this year, they are coming together as a team to support their coach.
Check out the video below to see the Colts players who shaved their heads for Pagano.