Football playes aren’t always rough and tumble. Take 305 pound senior starting guard for the Western Michigan football team, John Deyo. Deyo is growing out his hair right now – not as a fashion statement and not for his own good looks – but to donate to “Locks of Love,” a non-profit that makes wigs for kids who have lost their hair.
Both Deyo’s mom and grandmother have survived breast cancer. As Deyo said, “When my mom was diagnosed and started going through the chemo process, she was losing her hair. Myself and some of my friends, we shaved our heads completely bald too to kind of help support her. Once she was clean and clear, I decided I was going to grow my hair out and donate it, because my mom, she wore a wig for a little bit.”
As Deyo’s mom, Pam, explained, “There’s so many people that can’t afford wigs, or are going through cancer and have other expenses. Losing hair is a big deal to a lot of people, even when it’s something that’s gone temporarily. Johnny has seen that and decided he would like to help.”
Some of Deyo’s teammaters plan to join with him as well. WMU’s Alex Carder, Eric Monette, Justin Currie and Dann O’Neill all plan to donate their hair to ‘Locks of Love’ with him. As Deyo said, “It’s really great to see other guys on the team doing it. I don’t know, it gets me choked up really to think about it.”