May 01, 2019
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson will pay tribute to the late rapper Nipsey Hussle with two pairs of custom cleats throughout the 2019-2020 season.
Following the lead of LeBron James, Montrzel Harrell and Russell Westbrook, Jackson becomes the latest high profile athlete to recognize the life of the beloved rapper, born Ermias Ashghedom, who was fatally shot in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in late March.
Jackson posted a picture of the cleats on Instagram Wednesday. They were designed by artist Marcus Rivero, aka Soles By Sir.
Each pair of cleats features lyrics from Nipsey Hussle.
The blue pair says, "Sometimes perfect timing feels like I'm too late/But I know you're still great in spite of your mistakes/Before you run your race you gotta find a pace/Just make sure you cross the line and f*** the time it takes."
The checkered pair says, “Lock us behind gates but can’t tame us/Used to be stay safe, now it’s stay dangerous."
Jackson, a California native, reportedly asked Rivero to design several more cleats, according to TMZ.
If Jackson does wear the cleats, there's a good chance he'll get fined. The NFL only allows cleats during its "My Cleats, My Cause" charitable campaign. It's possible Jackson could select a cause in memory of Nipsey Hussle, but that wouldn't cover the whole season.
To be determined if Jackson is willing to eat the fines in order to pay his respects, or if the NFL will realize its policy has no legitimate purpose other than to control well-intentioned players.
