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Jeremy Fowler, senior NFL national reporter 8y

Antonio Brown to salute Arnold Palmer, but will stay within apparel rules

Golf, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- Antonio Brown is keeping the baby blue cleats in his locker to accommodate NFL uniform policy on game days, but he's got another plan for the Kansas City Chiefs game Sunday night.

An image of legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, who died Sunday, will be inscribed on Brown's black-and-gold cleats.

"Every week, I'm going to try to keep some motivation or put a picture of somebody that means the most to me or inspires me to keep me encouraged," Brown said. "I'm definitely going to follow the rules in regards to sticking to the team color."

Last week, Brown played the first half of a 34-3 loss to Philadelphia in blue cleats with the faces of his four children inscribed. An NFL official notified Brown at halftime that he couldn't continue playing unless he switched shoes. NFL rules permit uniform inspectors to notify players of violations on the spot. A player can be held out of a game until the uniform foul is rectified.

According to league rules, wearing "foreign substances on body/uniform" earns a $9,115 fine for a first offense and $18,231 for a second. Or the league could categorize the fines under "personal messages," which results in a $6,076 fine for a first-time offense and $12,154 for a second.

Brown said Friday he had not received a fine for the blue cleats, but he got hit with separate fines in Week 1 for wearing blue cleats and twerking in the end zone after a touchdown.

Brown, who said he believes inscriptions are "cool" with the league as long as they aren't explicit, spent time at Palmer's house in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, before 2016 training camp.

"A guy like Arnold, his legacy and what he meant not only to the world, but to Latrobe, to Pennsylvania, his legacy will live on," Brown said. "An inspiring guy. I'm glad I got a moment to share with him."

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