Getty ImagesDeAngelo Williams is having a relatively quiet year for the Panthers. His yardage might be a little bit better if he didn’t keep getting tackled from behind when a defender grabs his dreadlocks.
It’s happened at least twice, including last week against Atlanta. Williams learned that it can be legal.
“I actually learned something about the call, that you can actually horse collar inside the tackles. I didn’t know that,” Williams said via the Charlotte Observer. “I thought a horse collar was a horse collar no matter where it was on the field.”
It’s legal to grab a player by the hair anywhere on the field. It’s considered the same as a jersey.
Pacman Jones made a memorably painful-looking tackle of Ravens wideout Torrey Smith by the dreads in November. That was legal too.
Williams has decided to lose the dreadlocks, although it doesn’t seem to be a strategical decision. It just hurts too much.
“That’s why it’s braided now,” he said.
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I never really understood why offensive skill position players have dreads. It’s just another way to get tackled, and a really painful one at that.
Maybe make their helmets a bit larger, so they can tuck all that hair away…might make for extra anti-concussion padding, too.
Does anyone care?
The painful-looking tackle link goes to some stupid video of Mooch getting a picture of himself as a 10 year old. Nice….
Get a Howie Long cut and your problems are over, DeAngelo!
For the life of me, I have no idea what possesses a heterosexual male to have hair like this.
I think there should be a hair rule. It’s gotten way out of hand. If you want the stupid long hair, then wear it in your helmet on game day.
Aaaaww…poor baby!
You can change that DeAngelo…Its called a HAIRCUT…We should’nt have to change the rules for the many…to shut the few whiners up.
Cut your hair then, idiot.
It’s that way at EVERY level of football and when I see a kid get yanked down by the hair when I’m officiating HS and D3 college games I want to laugh every time…..especially when the ball carrier gets up howling and looking for a flag.
Best part is when the coach is warned by me pregame that the hair is open for tackle purposes and they tell me that they hope the guy gets yanked down by it.
If you don’t want to be tackled by your hair then get a haircut you dope.
I am honestly surprized he averages 5.2 yards per carry. I figured since he had 50 yards per game he sucked, but he gets less than 10 carries per game. I really am not sure what is going on, all I know is he is overpaid.
Cut the dreadlocks. No more problem.
Simple solution, cut it. Even Pacman did.
Sounds like a lame excuse for why he isn’t playing up to that large contract…
Just cut your hair, moron! I do not understand why these guys would EVER want to have long hair in this profession. My favorite “long hair play” was a few years ago when Polamalu tackled Larry Johnson and LJ “helped” him up by literally picking him up by his hair. It would only take me once to learn my lesson…
Suh also tackled Marion Barber by the dreads last season. And they flagged him for a horse collar. Just one of several plays that was clean, but wrongly flagged giving Suh the reputation he had leading into the Green Bay game.
Uh….then cut them
Easy fix, cut them…
I can relate….
I was actually an all state HS RB in Texas during the 80′s, but I kept getting tackled by my merm (man perm).
I had to make the choice between my flowing locks and football, and for me the choice was easy. Good bye football
“I actually learned something about the call, that you can actually horse collar inside the tackles. I didn’t know that,” Williams said.”
Talk about not knowing your job.
How about getting a haircut?
How about Larry Johnson’s tackle of Troy Polumalu? Legal tackle, but $15K fine for assisting him back up onto his feet by his hair!
If the players feel they must make a fashion statement with their dreadlocks, they deserve what they get.
Wear hair extensions dummy. Like a tear away jersey back in the day of Marcus Dupre!
This was a major issue about three years ago. Guess Angie didn’t get the memo.
Pick a hair style form this decade, problem solved
Your a professional, dress accordingly.
jobotjones says:
Dec 16, 2011 10:41 AM
Sounds like a lame excuse for why he isn’t playing up to that large contract…
Look at the numbers, its not his fault he isnt having huge numbers.
9.7 Rushing Attempts per game, with a 5.2 average. Thats a better average then MJD, Foster, Turner, McCoy, Peterson, Gore, Rice, and Forte just to name a few. But he is 37th in attempts per game.
With J. Stew and Cam running a fair amount also, you cant blame Williams for what he doesnt have the CHANCE to do.
mrfusion123 says:Dec 16, 2011 10:52 AM
I can relate….
I was actually an all state HS RB in Texas during the 80′s, but I kept getting tackled by my merm (man perm).
I had to make the choice between my flowing locks and football, and for me the choice was easy. Good bye football
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My guess is that when the Texas football stardom went away…so did the chicks.
25 years later, the mullet is still there and the phone still ain’t ringing…..right?
hunternuts says:
Dec 16, 2011 10:41 AM
Just cut your hair, moron! I do not understand why these guys would EVER want to have long hair in this profession. My favorite “long hair play” was a few years ago when Polamalu tackled Larry Johnson and LJ “helped” him up by literally picking him up by his hair. It would only take me once to learn my lesson…
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I remember the play you’re referencing… although I think Polamalu was returning an INT and LJ caught up and brought him down by his locks
How is this surprising to anyone? First morning of two-a-days we were told anything sticking out of the helmet was fair game.
Do all state HS associations not have the same rule? At least that contract is being exposed as foolish.
Get a haircut, hippie!
Girl you know its true…I need to cut my doo – Milli Vanilli
Predator Fail!
I’m surprised he’s not tired of not getting any carries. WTF did Carolina pay him all that money if they don’t want to use him?
Not to worry. This Sunday, the Texans will be blasting you from the shoulders down all day long…
So the final sentence of the story reads:
“Williams has decided to lose the dreadlocks, although it doesn’t seem to be a strategical decision. It just hurts too much.”
But most of the commenters here call Williams an idiot and tell him to just cut his hair.
Are you people just stupid? Or are you just so eager to hate someone you cant even bother to read the story?
Amazing.
Women are tired of Ben Roethlisburger tackling them by the vagina.
Here’s a solution. Cut your damn hair. If you want to look like you are headed to Jamaica, then grow your hair in the off season or after you retire.
For all the ppl talking about get a hair cut…Im guessing your not able to grow dreads!
To most of us (yes, i wear them) it symbolizes something more…to just say “cut them off” would be a sign of disrespect, depending on why you wear them. Also, it takes a long time to grow dreads and you take pride in them. Just bc YOU dont understand why “grown men” wear dreadlocks doesnt give you the right to tell him how to wear HIS hair….All he has to do is what Stephen Jackson does and braid them so they stay in the helmet. But a man can wear his hair how he wants…dont hate bc u cant! Dislike it all you want but I GUARANTEE none of u would have the guts to say this Lennox Lewis, the most famous dreadlocked athlete
If his name was tom brady or peyton manning then the league would change the rules.
comeonnowguys says:Dec 16, 2011 11:19 AM
How is this surprising to anyone? First morning of two-a-days we were told anything sticking out of the helmet was fair game.
Do all state HS associations not have the same rule? At least that contract is being exposed as foolish.
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All college, HS states that are using NFHS/FED rules (almost all), and even in youth/pony leagues up here in WI…same rule. Fair game.
@mrfusion123:
Post of the day. Seriously, merm? Love it.
@silly trolls giving him a thumb’s down:
Get a sense of humor, muppets.
cut your hair or play defense
problem solved
Then cut them
“Strategical”???
Is that even a word????
Seriously….
I remember a long time ago that Ricky Williams had super long hair. He must have gotten tired of it too. Now he is more aerodynamic.
I guess he didn’t get the memo about the hair being part of his uniform, or a continuation. As for Troy’s hair. I belive I heard thats a religious belief, if I’m not mistaken, just like the big guy from Cincinatti. Polinesian religion or beliefs Not the same as a fashion statement.
Never could understand the long hair in football anyway. Does not matter if dreadlocks, straight hair, whatever, all hair should be under the helment. If it doesn’t fit- cut it.
Looks like a bunch of Predators running across the field.
Umm you guys are calling for him to get a haircut, when he said he has braids to keep that from happening. So he has already fixed it, and you guys are trying to say that he should fix it. I mean….
i can think of one way to avoid being tackled by one’s dreads… drizzle them with melted butter before every game. game face!
best way to stop getting tacked by your dreads is either fix it inside your helement,or just simply CUT THEM!
CUT YER HAIR YA HIPPIE!
Unbelievable.
Can we not post the link to the actual video of the actual tackle? I’ve tried twice.
Andre’s Johnson says: Dec 16, 2011 11:44 AM
Women are tired of Ben Roethlisburger tackling them by the vagina.
That is the funniest post I have ever read on here. 5 minutes later, and I still laughing….Touche
Whats the difference if braids are hanging out of the back of the helmet or dreads?
Is it tougher for a tackler to hang onto a braid because of its silky smoothness versus a traction wielding nappy ass dread?
CMon MAN!
His yardage might be a little bit better if he didn’t keep getting tackled from behind when a defender grabs his dreadlocks.
It’s happened at least twice, including last week against Atlanta.
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Yea he’s only rushed for 656 yards this year because at least TWICE he’s been tackled by his hair…. let’s all say that again together….Williams has only 656 yards this year because of his hair.
Worst excuse ever?
How long was his hair when he actually was a good running back?
Cut it or shut it.
Well then, tuck them in to your skirt !
OH YOU PFT COMMENTERS with your sly smarmy jokes. If you actually read the article, you would see that the man himself said he’s going to get rid of them. It’s not like he’s whining, he’s more surprised that horse collars are legal within the tackles.
And to those saying he isn’t living up to the $$? Well as has been pointed out by others, when you run only 40 percent of the time and you only get 33 percent of the carries from that 40 percent….not a whole lot of opportunities. Yet the dude has managed to bust out 2 65+ yard touchdowns and has a 5.2 ypc. HE’S GOOD YO.
“anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant.” My dear, there is NOTHING irrelephant about those!!
The NFL and other organizations are wrong to penalize defenders for tackling players by the hair. Sure, it can be dangerous, but that’s on the ball carrier for having part of the body exposed to tacklers. If they continue to penalize defenders then ball carriers can use this to their advantage by having hair down to their waist.
Then get a haircut that is more acceptable to the hazards of your profession.
Guess if Mr. Williams wants to draw more attention to himself having by his hair covering a portion of his legal tackling area, he needs to accept the consequences. If it were illegal to tackle using the hair(still think it’s funny we’re discussing this), teams would sign Cousin It from the Addams Family to run the ball for them….
They whip his hair back & forth! They whip his hair back & forth!
Deangelo is the man. All you haters can go find something else to do. You WISH you had him on your team… The Panthers are a passing team now, so he and Stewart get about 7 carries a piece.
How many Superbowl contenders would give their left nut for D-dub right now?? Lets see:
Patriots, Packers, Broncos, Lions, Bears, Jets, Cowboys… Not to mention the winless Colts, Dolphins, Redskins, and Browns to name of few.
OK, I’m a dinosaur. How is getting braids a solution? Hair is hair. If you don’t cut them, you gotta put them somewhere. Where? If there’s no place under the helmet, they hand out.
Not being sarcastic, just clueless. Help me out here…
Be a man, get a men’s haircut! No longer than 4″.
Leave the long hair and dreds to women and rasta-bumpin-potheads. You play a sport where hair should be under your helmet, not free flowing out the back of it. Same goes for Troy Polamalu! Paul Posluszny cut his, I think you should follow suit.
Cut it and get better oppourtunities.
What is the point of an NFL player having a diva hairstyle?
With great dreads come great responsibility.
and I’m tired of looking at them. I know a good barber, we both win!
The players have their names on the back of their jerseys. They should wear their hair short enough so that the name is not covered by their hair.
Cut your dreads off then you fool!
@ pilot2011
Patriots, Packers, Broncos, Lions, Bears, Jets, Cowboys… Not to mention the winless Colts, Dolphins, Redskins, and Browns to name of few.
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Williams was GROSSLY overpaid, and your argument that he only gets 7 carries a game SUPPORTS that. As far as the rest of your comment goes:
Patriots: Dont need him. They don’t run that much and when they do they have solid backs
Packers: See Patriots.
Broncos: Have you even WATCHED Willis McGahee this year?
Lions: Backfield decimated by injuries, but Smith has been great
Bears: Other than his two dumb moments last week, Marion the Barbarian is pretty solid.
Jets: A Hall of Famer and a rising star in the backfield
Cowboys: DeAndre Murray’s emergence (and injury) overshadowed the fact that Felix Jones is a pretty darn good running back
Dolphins: Thomas is solid and Bush is having the the best season of his career
Redskins: Have you actually WATCHED Roy Helu?
He’d be an upgrade for the Colts and Browns, but none of the other teams you mentioned NEED him. No one’s “hating” on Williams, just stating FACTS.
Sorry, DEMARCO MURRAY