Dallas Cowboys linebacker Justin March-Lillard is changing the name on the back of his uniform to read simply "March."
The sixth-year pro wore "March" on his jersey for the first time with the Cowboys in Saturday's night's preseason win over the Houston Texans, then explained the switch on Twitter on Sunday, saying that March is his legal name and that of his wife and children.
I wore "March-Lillard" on my jersey. to honor my father who Fought through 3 different cancers and multiple heart surgeries in his life. Beating the first 2 and passing from Pancreatic Cancer in 2016. He never missed a game. Even when he was going through chemo. pic.twitter.com/O6E1oRq4Ts
— Jay March (@Bubba_March) August 25, 2019
And now I am back to wearing my legal name, my children and wife's last name "March". It is time I lead for my family as my father did for his. This was a hard decision to make but the look I get from my son reminds me of how I looked at my father. Like the Greatest Super Hero.💙 pic.twitter.com/h1pPkPVY7t
— Jay March (@Bubba_March) August 25, 2019
March wore jerseys with both "March" and "March-Lillard" on the back while in college at Akron.
After initially wearing "March" in the first weeks of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015, he switched to "March-Lillard" in 2016.