Eddie Lacy is contemplating trimming his trademark dreadlocks. Lacy has rocked dreads since he was at Alabama and the Green Bay Packers running back is entering his fourth season in the NFL, but getting yanked down by his hair has finally caught up to the 26-year-old.
Following this tackle in Friday’s preseason game, Lacy is finally ready to admit defeat.
.@Lil_Eazy_Ana_42 bounces outside for a 21-yard gain! #GBvsSF pic.twitter.com/lbLqh7oKXr
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 27, 2016
Starting this season, the NFL will not allow players to tackle other players by grabbing anything above the nameplate. The only left that won’t earn a penalty? A player’s hair. And obviously those with flowing dreadlocks will now be at a further disadvantage to their more clean cut peers.
In addition to the competitive advantage, Lacy also stands to keep himself from experiencing a good deal of pain. Asked about how his head was feeling after the game, he was not shy about letting on to his pain.
“It definitely hurts,” Lacy said standing at his locker after the Green Bay Packers’ 21-10 win. “The first thought in my mind was a word I can’t really say.”
Lacy claims this is the first time he has been tackled by his hair since he was a junior in high school, so you can understand why he might hold out this long. However, his rationale behind a haircut extends beyond just avoiding a sore scalp. It could help protect his most important asset as a running back.
“For my legs,” Lacy said. “They’re important. Because that’s how most guys hurt their knees, because you get pulled from the back. Which is why the horse collar rule thing (exists). So luckily that didn’t happen.”
Lacy already shed 10 pounds in the offseason, so a trim up top would make the new-look Lacy’s transformation complete.
