The Sports Xchange

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward plans to keep wearing eye black to honor his late father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, despite the possibility of more fines form the NFL.

Heyward, who was fined $5,787 last week, violated the NFL’s rules again on Sunday by putting “IRON” and “HEAD” on his eye black.

Heyward faces an $11,576 fine for a second violation of the rules. Players are permitted to use eye black to reduce glare from sunlight or bright stadium lights, but the NFL’s uniform policy is against “personal messages.”

Craig Heyward died at the age of 39 in 2006 after a seven-year battle with a recurring brain tumor. The former fullback played parts of 11 seasons in the NFL from 1988 to 1998.

Cam Heyward told ESPN that he was not given permission from the NFL to wear the eye black, but the league will hear his appeal of the original fine Tuesday. He is not sure whether he will get fined again but plans to keep wearing the eye-black tribute.

“That’s the goal,” Heyward said after the Steelers’ 25-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. “There have been others, and I’m not going to name any names, that have worn it to support cancer. I don’t want to get involved in it, but it’s bigger than me. I’m not going to shy away from the fight against cancer, and I’m going to support them in any way possible.”

Teammate running back DeAngelo Williams wanted to wear pink in his uniform all year to honor his mother, Sandra Hill, who died of breast cancer last year at the age of 53. But the NFL denied Williams’ request last week, even though the league has designated October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to honor the fight against cancer when teams can wear pink on their uniforms.