Hair is where it’s at if you want to stand out in the NFL.
From Troy Polamalu’s thick mass of curls to Domata Peko’s fluffy, lionlike mane to Chris Johnson’s dreads to Clay Matthews’ grunge look, players all over the NFL are going long.
“I see around the league a lot of guys are growing the hair out, not only Samoans but dudes with blond hair and dreadlocks and stuff like that,” said Peko, the Bengals’ defensive tackle whose hair reaches all the way down to his waist. “It’s pretty cool. It’s good to see.”
It wasn’t so long ago that there were only a handful of longhairs in the league, and just one or two with truly eye-catching ‘dos.
When Larry Johnson yanked Polamalu down by his hair in 2006 on a 49-yard interception return, it set off a buzz about whether hair- pulling was legal. It is. The NFL considers hair part of the uniform.
Now cascading tresses — tamed, braided and otherwise — are everywhere.
Nearly every team has at least one player with hair long enough to obscure his name on the back of the uniform.
The Cardinals are the unofficial league leader, with eight. (It was nine, but receiver Steve Breaston shaved his head this week.)
“It’s a part of our culture now. I’m used to it,” Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “If I could grow my hair that long, I’d consider it.”
Some, like Peko and Polamalu, do it because it’s part of their culture. Peko is from American Samoa, where long hair is the norm for men, and Polamalu also has Samoan roots.
Torain looks like starter
ASHBURN, Va. — Ryan Torain is ahead of Clinton Portis as the Redskins seek a healthy running back for Monday night’s game against the Eagles.
Coach Mike Shanahan said Saturday that Torain is close to full-speed after suffering a hamstring injury two weeks ago against Detroit.
Rams’ Onobun is out
ST. LOUIS — Rams rookie tight end Fendi Onobun, who has been hampered by a back injury, was downgraded from doubtful to out and did not make the trip for today’s game at San Francisco.
Seahawks sign receiver
RENTON, Wash. — The Seahawks re-signed wide receiver Ruvell Martin, making the move ahead of their game today at Arizona.
To make room on the roster, the team released defensive tackle Frank Okam.
