You've probably never heard of William Gay, but it's time you learned about him.
Gay's stepfather shot his mother dead when Gay was just seven years.
She was killed in a horrible instance of domestic violence.
But Gay persevered and made it to the NFL in 2007.
Today, he plays cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The NFL on Wednesday fined Gay $5,787 for a uniform violation after the Steelers' most recent game.
Gay's crime?
Wearing purple cleats to raise awareness about domestic violence and honor his late mother.
.
Gay's teammate, running back DeAngelo Williams, was also fined $5,787 by the NFL for a uniform violation.
His crime?
Wearing a message that read "Find the Cure" in his eye black.
The idea was to honor breast cancer victims and raise breast cancer awareness.