The NFL fined New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis $7,017 for wearing a headband that said "Man of God" during the Saints' Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Davis appealed the fine, and people all over the country criticized the NFL for handing out the punishment.
Davis decided to use the publicity to raise money for charity. He started selling "Man of God" and "Woman of God" headbands for $25 each and promised to donate 100 percent of the proceeds to St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi.
On Wednesday (October 9), Davis received word from his agent that he won his appeal and would not be on the hook for the fine. He shared the good news on Instagram and announced that he raised $30,000 from the headband sales. He also promised to donate $7,000 of his own money to the hospital. He said he will continue to sell the headbands and even added a new one that says "Child of God."
"That's a huge win," Davis told reporters. "We've been able to turn it into a positive and use it to raise funds for a hospital that's trying to rebuild this emergency room. And just to have the support of the community -- and pretty much nationwide -- it's been amazing. And then on top of that, being blessed to win the appeal and be able to take those funds that I was already counting as a loss and further contribute to the cause, it's just a major blessing. And I don't take it for granted."
Photo: Getty Images