Two players who wear No. 26 joined hands with the coaches of the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings in tribute to the victims of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., and New York Giants’ players wore decals with the initials of Sandy Hook Elementary School.
There were moments of silence before all NFL games yesterday. The ceremony in St. Louis included Rams coach Jeff Fisher and Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, along with Rams running back Daryl Richardson and Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield.
The players were selected because their number represents the total slain at the elementary school on Friday.
Dozens of children wearing uniform jerseys held hands with players in a circle extending from the 30-yard lines at the Edward Jones Dome, centered on the Rams logo at midfield. Richardson, Winfield and the coaches formed an inner circle.
In Atlanta, Giants’ players wore decals with the acronym “SHES” on the backs of their helmets.
Flags were at half-staff at M&T Bank Stadium when the Baltimore Ravens hosted the Denver Broncos in one of the eight early games.
With the Maryland National Guard standing on the opposite end of the field from the flag bearers, the scoreboards went black as the public address announcer asked the crowd to observe “silent reflection” in the wake of Friday’s “horrific tragedy.”
Players from both team stood stoically on the sideline. The moment of silence was followed by the national anthem.
In New Orleans, the Superdome fell silent for nearly 30 seconds before the Saints hosted Tampa Bay. People around the stadium removed their hats, bowed their heads and remained still until the public address announcer introduced the national anthem singer, “American Idol” contestant Skylar Laine.
In Houston, video screens went black as the moment was observed before the Texas hosted the Indianapolis Colts.
In Chicago, Green Bay wide receiver Donald Driver retweeted the names of the victims.
Buffalo Bills CEO Russ Brandon tweeted that a moment of silence was to be held in Toronto later yesterday before the Bills played the Seattle Seahawks at the downtown Rogers Centre.
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