We’re going to have to wait a little longer before Donte Hitner takes the field in an NFL game.
Earlier this week, 49ers safety Donte Whitner said he planned to change his name to Hitner in conjunction with the launch of a line of "#LegalHitner” t-shirts protesting the penalties and fines he’s incurred on the field this season. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Whitner’s lawyer filed paperwork to legally change Whitner’s name to Hitner, but that the current shutdown of the federal government has stopped the paperwork from being processed.
There’s no word on whether this snag will lead to any movement in Washington, although we’re guessing that Whitner’s desire to change his name to one that looks and sounds a lot like that of a man whose attempt at world domination was stopped with the help of the U.S. government ranks fairly low on the list of things impacted by the shutdown of the government.
Whitner and the rest of the 49ers host the Texans on Sunday night.