It was not a pretty Friday evening for the San Francisco 49ers, but they may have made a notable impact on the Green Bay Packers. Midway through the first quarter, running back Eddie Lacy bounced a run outside against the 49ers defensive line and picked up 21 yards. Eric Reid was lining up to tackle him, but before that could happen, Gerald Hodges caught up from behind and pulled Lacy down by his lengthy dreadlocks. Horse collar tackles and tackles grabbing above the nameplate are illegal, but the hair is viewed as fair game.
.@Lil_Eazy_Ana_42 bounces outside for a 21-yard gain! #GBvsSF pic.twitter.com/lbLqh7oKXr
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 27, 2016
After the game, Lacy said it was the first time since his junior year in high school that he had been tackled by the air. He said his biggest concern was his legs, since getting pulled back by his hair could result in injury, particularly to his knees. He is now debating what to do about his hair, which he has not cut in a year:
"I’m debating after that," Lacy said. "I don’t know how many more of those I’d like to experience. We’re in camp. So I’ve got to wait until I get out of camp, and then I’ll assess it.”
It sounds like there was plenty of chatter among fans about his haircut plans, and so he offered this on Twitter Saturday afternoon:
I'm not cutting my hair completely off just trimming it
— Eddie Lacy (@Lil_Eazy_Ana_42) August 28, 2016