Merton Hanks is a four-time Pro Bowl defensive back who played the majority of his NFL career (1991-99) with the San Francisco 49ers. He is now the league's vice president of football operations, often determining if players should be fined for their on-field behavior.
Hanks talked to NFL Evolution contributing editor Bill Bradley earlier this week about the NFL's leg and thigh pad rule, clearing up some misconceptions about the guideline that will take effect this season.
You were known as a player who was somewhat flamboyant during your playing days, even inventing a special dance for your interception celebrations. Now that you lay down the law for current NFL players, does that seem ironic to you?
I don't know that laying down laws is the accurate statement there. I think I enforce the rules as voted on by our ownership and partnerships through our various committees and certainly the direction of our individual clubs. I think it's important that players have a consistent standard, and that's something we strived for.
The hottest topic you have been talking about has been the leg and thigh pad rule. What has been the general reaction you have received from implementing this rule?
The main point we're getting across to our players is that the thigh and knee are mandatory padding, no different than a helmet and shoulder pads. The mandatory uniform of a player on game day has those elements in it. In partnership with the NFL Players Association, going on four years now, we're making sure that factories make the strongest pads possible. (The manufacturers) scientifically tested the padding so that the players are wearing highest-performance padding for their protection. And it's also about making sure the players look good. Hey, players want to look good, they want to feel good and, helped by those elements, they usually play good. We work in partnership with a multitude of groups -- certainly coaches, clubs, players, the manufacturers of all equipment -- to make sure that all parties have been engaged and involved. Because it is a sea change. We haven't had mandatory padding on the lower leg since the mid-'90s.
Did you wear leg and thigh pads when you played during the 1990s?
Yes. At various stages in my career, I wore both the thigh and knee padding. I pretty much always wore thigh padding.
Nike's leg and thigh padding has been shown the most during demonstrations for this rule. Is there a certain brand the players have to wear?
There is a multitude of padding options available. We've had, in working with the players' association, a partnership with the University of Virginia biomedical facility to come up with a test to make sure that the padding meets baseline criteria. There are 37 individual pads -- from leg to girdle pads -- that a player will be able to choose from. Once the clubs in partnership with the players (decide what they like), we will lower that number so we don't have 37 different pads for our uniform and equipment inspectors to monitor. We'll look more at that number as training camp moves forward. But clubs and players are looking at high-performance padding options available. We were able to test some of these pads on players at this past Pro Bowl (Jan. 27) during practices, primarily for skill-position players like defensive backs or wide receivers. (The padding has) been well received. With these things, you always have some pushback in some areas, but we anticipate that this will be well received.
Why was this rule rolled out over such a long period of time? Wasn't it agreed upon two year ago?
It was agreed up on two years ago, but we wanted to work in partnership with players. We wanted to make sure that they're comfortable. We wanted to make sure our equipment partners had produced enough padding that was protective and light. We wanted to give clubs the opportunity to prepare inventory. Even though the rule was passed for last season, we had it take effect this season to give everyone time to be ready for it.
Also, enforcement issues in the early '90s and the quality of the padding was not as good as it is today. The rule was not completely enforced during that era. Combine that with inferior padding than what is available today.
Where will these equipment inspectors be stationed during the games?
Equipment inspectors are former players. They have access to entire stadium -- locker rooms, sidelines and press boxes -- to perform their duties. He'll be moving all around, whether it's on the field or in the locker room, addressing issues with the equipment manager of that particular team so that he has access.
Is this different than the equipment inspector who has been in the press box in seasons past looking for uniform violations, like untucked jerseys or mismatched socks?
The NFL equipment inspector has always been in charge of making sure that equipment has been approved by the league for use on the field. We're just adding the thigh and knee pads to his duties. There is one inspector assigned to each team. There will only be one (inspector per game from the home team). Teams already have a relationship with their inspectors. Frankly, we like the fact that they have relationships, so they can have those conversations whereas it will be private and will avoid embarrassment and any potential penalty.
What will be the penalties if a player fails to comply with this new rule? And what is the procedure for determining violations?
First, the player comes out as part of the team pregame warm-up period. We differentiate that from the early warm-up period when you see the Peyton Mannings of the world come out and throw to their receivers. When the whole team comes out, then the pregame warm-up period begins. We've mandated that the thigh and knee pad be in place for the players at that time. That's when the inspector can make a judgment and make sure the correct padding is proper. If it's not, then he will give notice to team designee, and the designee will be charged with making sure that change is made when the player goes back into the locker room. When the team comes back out for the game from the locker room, the uniform inspector will again inspect both teams. If he still has violations, then we will give that young man the opportunity to make the adjustment once again through the team designee. If the player for whatever reason refuses and tries to go on the field, the inspector will instruct the officiating crew to remove that player from the field if he is not adequately padded. It would be no different than a player attempting to play without his helmet or his shoulder pads. Once that player has made that adjustment on the field, he is more than able to re-enter the game and perform his duties according to the game plan.
Can players be fined for not following this procedure?
Yes. Fines will mirror the current uniform fines. For a first offense, it would be a fine of $5,000, and we will go from there.
It's interesting that you are equating this to not wearing your helmet on the field. Is that how the players are being told about this rule?
You can't start a play when we see that players are not adequately protected. Just we like have rules for when your helmet comes off, the play is instantly dead. You just can't allow a player to play without the mandatory padding. That's why I stress to the players that wearing the mandatory padding is no different than wearing your helmet. It's a piece of protective equipment that you must have to play.
Will the preseason games be a dry run for the new rule?
We definitely want to try to make sure the transition happens quickly and as smoothly as possible. I would imagine if I was a veteran player, I wouldn't mind being kicked out of a (preseason) game (laughing). But we're going use wisdom and make sure those players understand that they may miss some time if they choose to test system in that manner. That's why we attached fines, as well as removal from the game, as a carrot for the rookie players as well as the veteran players that this is a new rule and it will be enforced vigorously.
What is the biggest deterrent in enforcement, losing playing time or losing money?
Play time clearly is the bigger worry for players. Quite frankly, that's something that we hope never occurs. We never want a player to miss play time because he doesn't have on proper padding. But it is unfortunately a measure we will take. If you're a player, can you imagine Week 1 of the regular season, the home opener, the offense goes specifically through you, and through your own negligence, you for whatever reason don't have on mandatory padding, you're losing the game? Our coaches have made the point that they won't be very tolerant of that behavior because that affects the team. You're not making an individual statement. Your services are being withheld from this team. That's something that won't be tolerated.
What other feedback are the coaches giving you on this rule?
It's the law of the land, so coaches want to know about how it's going to be enforced, how to make sure from an equity standpoint that both sides are being treated fairly and equally for enforcement purposes. Coaches have made the adjustment because they only have so many days in training camp to get their players used to wearing pads, so they have to take advantage of that -- and they will.
You would think from the outcry that this is the biggest uniform change since tear-away jerseys were outlawed. Have you seen a uniform change get this much attention?
It's a very significant change. The NFL is always about the business of trying to be better than we were the previous year, whether it's rule changes or trying out new technologies to improve the game. When change happens, there will always been a little bit of talk, a little bit of chatter. On the whole, I think the type of padding that is available for our players will help and that many of our skill-position players, like running backs, already wear thigh and knee pads. The performance issue really doesn't hold water. When the MVP of the league in Adrian Peterson wears thigh and knee pads -- especially considering the horrific injury that he had and then he challenged Eric Dickerson's rushing record -- it just doesn't stand up. We're excited about making sure that everyone is protected and move on from there.
