Buffalo Bills players, coaches will celebrate cultural origins through NFL Heritage program

The NFL will once again celebrate the diverse heritages of players and coaching staffs league-wide during the 2023 NFL season. For Weeks 7 and 8, more than 330 players from all 32 teams will proudly display international flag decals on their helmets, honoring each player’s respective family heritage(s).

Four Buffalo Bills players will join in the celebrations, with defensive end Kingsley Jonathan (Nigeria), offensive lineman Germain Ifedi (Nigeria), safety Taylor Rapp (China), and rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid (Canada) all affixing flags of their heritage alongside the American flag on their helmets.

Additionally, individuals from coaching staffs of 17 different organizations will wear patches on jackets, celebrating their cultural origins. In total, there will be more than 70 international countries, nations, and territories represented by players and team personnel league-wide.

ESPN Buffalo Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg shared that “Bills assistant director of equipment ops Spencer Haws will represent Italy with a patch on his jacket.”

The NFL continues to grow internationally, emblematic of the cultural melting pot of nationalities within the league, and which remains one of the cornerstones of the United States.

Per the NFL’s official news release, everyone participating may choose to “represent their backgrounds throughout the remainder of the season.”

“As we continue to prioritize the NFL’s growth globally, we’re proud to have our players and coaches honor their backgrounds through the NFL Heritage Program,” said Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president club business, international and events at the NFL. “This initiative allows us to celebrate the heritage, families and cultures that make up the fabric of the League, and truly showcases the growing global reach and impact of the sport of football and the NFL.”

You can find the complete list of participating players and coaches, and the countries, nations, or territories being represented by clicking here.