Football season is about to, well, kick off. It's fitting that in a sports league with so many teams named after animals—the Bears, the Eagles, the Dolphins, the Lions, etc.—there are plenty of players who show compassion for our furry, feathered, and finned friends. Here are 11 current and former NFL pros whom the animals are glad to have on their team:

Sedrick Ellis (New Orleans Saints)

New Orleans Saints player Sedrick Ellis lives up to his team's name in his PETA ad encouraging folks in the Big Easy and elsewhere to make plans to take care of animal companions before emergencies happen.

©Photo: Josh Williams Photography. Grooming: Brandie Hopstein

Arian Foster (Houston Texans)

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster makes my hometown proud with his outstanding skills on the field and makes animal advocates cheer for his embrace of healthy and humane vegan foods.

Foster image: AJ Guel Photography| cc by 2.0 

Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears)

Playing in the Windy City, linebacker Lance Briggs knows what cold weather can feel like, which is why dogs don't belong outside in the wintertime, as his PETA ad explains.

©Photo: Jimmy Fishbein www.jimmyfishbein.com

Glenn Dorsey (Kansas City Chiefs)

Also speaking up for cold dogs is Glenn Dorsey, who posed for a PETA ad with his dog Bugsy, of whom he said, "Bugs don't care if we win or lose, he's still gonna love me."

©Photo: Matthew Collins, Makeup: Melissa Blayton

Aaron Curry (Oakland Raiders)

Aaron Curry posed with his rescued dog Laila for a peta2 "Be Your Dog's Biggest Defender" ad urging people not to chain their dogs.

© Photo: Christopher Record, Makeup: Adrian Howe

Willis McGahee (Denver Broncos)

When he played for the Baltimore Ravens, Willis McGahee, now on the Denver Broncos, bucked the cruelty of fur by baring his tats—and much more—for a red-hot PETA "Ink, Not Mink" ad.

© Photo: Ken Penn/www.kenpenn.com, Grooming: Tomara Watkins for Stilista Agency

Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens)

Another Ravens player happy to show his skin to save animals' hides, Terrell Suggs is one of the toughest linebackers in the NFL, but he considers the production of fur "cruel and evil" and will never cross the line by wearing it.

© Photo: Gabrielle Revere/www.gabriellerevere.com, Makeup: Demi V./www.DemiV.com

Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons)

Tony Gonzalez, a six-time Pro Bowl veteran, also stripped down for PETA, alongside his wife, October, to declare, "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur!"

© Photo: Robert Sebree, Hair: Eric Sebbag for The Cloutier Agency, Makeup: Camille Clark for The Cloutier Agency

Ricky Williams (retired)

Ricky Williams, a vegetarian, hosted PETA's faux–chicken-wing taste test, crowning Gardein's vegan buffalo wings the winner.

Michael Strahan (retired)

Former NFL star Michael Strahan has a new job as co-host of "Live With Kelly and Michael," but PETA helped keep him occupied making a public service announcement for "backyard dogs."

© StarMaxInc.com

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, who are both lactose intolerant, teamed up with dairy-free brand So Delicious for a promotion benefiting the couple's charitable foundation—and anything that encourages nondairy living also helps cows used for milk.

Brees photo: Ian Ransley Design | cc by 2.0 

Even if you have no hope of making it to the Super Bowl, you can still be a champion for animals—learn how.

The TV networks have been notably, um, unenthusiastic about running PETA's Super Bowl ads, so this year PETA is planning to take its message directly to the players and fans by placing billboards in the teams' hometowns of New York and Boston as well as Indianapolis, which is hosting the game, making an irreverent plea for people to put down the chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday.

Chickens © iStockphoto.com/Sunnybeach

Why Worry About Wings?

It's estimated that some 600 million chickens are killed for the wings consumed just during the Super Bowl. Yikes! And that's after the abuse they all suffered through on factory farms.

Not only is this wing-eating obsession cruel, it also shows a lack of imagination. After all, there are so many mouth-watering alternatives to the old same-old same-old. For vegan game-day treats that will satisfy the most ravenous sports fan, check out these recipes for fab finger foods that won't cost birds their limbs.

Try Tasty Alternatives!

If your party guests insist on being served wings, try the meatless variety, like Gardein's buffalo "wings"—the choice of the NFL's Ricky Williams—or just roll your own!

Dad's big day is almost here. Dads deserve nothing but the best, of course, and that includes animal dads who don't want to be tested on, eaten, or turned into shoes and belts. So we've rounded up the preeminent picks to please Pops and let animals celebrate Father's Day too.

For a dad who's more Hilfiger than Home Depot, opt for elegant silk-free ties by Jaan J; leather-free belts, wallets, and shoes from MooShoes; or an always-in-fashion PETA tee. To get his day off to a smooth start, give him a Wally Cruelty-Free Razor and shaving products from Herban Cowboy.

Does Dad like a good book? Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals is about how becoming a dad led the author to reexamine his diet. And Rip Esselstyn's The Engine 2 Diet is the quintessential manly man's healthy-eating guide. You can also give Dad a ceramic PETA mug to sip java from while he's kicked back in his recliner with his Kindle.

If your dad's a weekend warrior, he might be happier with cards or autographed photos of animal-friendly athletes such as Chase Utley, Ron Artest, and Ricky Williams. Get him ready for Little League season with a PETA “Free for All” SIGG water bottle and tasty snacks like Tofurky Jurky, Lucy's Cookies, and popcorn and dark chocolate from Trader Joe's to tote to the game.  

And what Father's Day is complete without a cookout? Grill out with a selection of Gardein faux meats like BBQ Skewers or Chick'n Filets. You can find Gardein products across the country at grocers such as Ralphs, Vons/Safeway, Kroger, and Harris Teeter. Most beers are vegan, so to wash it all down, raise a glass to Dad.

Happy Father's Day from PETA!

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow

The Daily Meal recently compiled a list of top vegetarian athletes, including Mike Tyson, Billie Jean King, and Joe Namath. We were inspired to compile our own list of 10 animal-friendly top talents who have gotten brawn from broccoli and endurance from eggplant:
 

1. Ricky Williams, who fills out a PETA T-shirt as nicely as he does a Miami Dolphins jersey, had a ball hosting PETA's vegetarian chicken-wing taste test.
2. Robert Parish is one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History," partly because he made history of wimpy meat-eaters who got in his way.
3. "Olympian of the Century" Carl Lewis is a gold-medal winner with a heart to match.
4. Ultimate Fighter winner and King of the Cage world champion Mac Danzig eats his opponents for breakfast, but what he won't eat is animals.
5. Maybe Home Run Derby winner Prince Fielder inspired the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park to add veggie dogs and vegetable wraps to its menu?
6. Four-time Mr. Universe Bill Pearl is a gem for animals, with his healthy vegetarian diet.
7. If there is one thing Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teeter is as passionate about as she is about snowboarding, it's compassion for animals.
8. Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier credits his vegan diet with helping him recover after he was hit by a car while cycling, and he came back to win an Ultra Marathon Championship.
9. How do you get to be named by Men's Fitness as one of the "25 Fittest Guys in the World"? Ask Rich Roll, and be ready for him to tell you, "Go vegan."
10.  MMA Strikeforce Champion Jake Shields is a force to be reckoned with in the ring, but never in his life has he forced animals to die for his diet.
     

Written by Michelle Sherrow

I'll admit I'm not a huge football follower—maybe because Houston's pro teams have tended to play like a bunch of injured nursing-home residents—but I know that the current NFL lockout is making anxious fans unhappy. However, if you're also a fan of chickens (and there are lots of reasons to be one), buck up—your pain could be their gain!

Sales of chicken wings tend to skyrocket on football game days (especially the Super Bowl), so some mother-plucking chicken-flesh peddlers are worried that if the football season is kaput, so is their wing-selling biz. Well, boo hoo. (Though if anything's keeping them up nights, it should be what they're doing to those birds.)  

If the show season does go on, all you true-blue fans can still cheer on your team while helping our feathered friends—just serve up some tasty vegan "wings" at your viewing parties. And to make sure you've got game-day cred, check out what vegetarian NFL star Ricky Williams found when he held a faux-wing taste test.
 

Written by Jeff Mackey

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams already has enough accolades to span two lifetimes—Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Pro Bowl MVP, to name a few—and after he reigned over our Faux–Chicken Wing Taste Test today, we'd like to dub him an MVP: Most Valuable Palate.

The vegetarian NFL star hosted our event at his restaurant, Proof, in Miami. The winning wings may have been gardein buffalo wings, but considering all the chickens who got to keep their own wings, all the arteries that didn't get clogged, and all the taste buds that were more-than-tickled, it sounds to me like the party left everyone happy!

Written by Logan Scherer

everyjoe / CC

Ricky Williams is hulking proof that vegan athletes last longer and play harder, and we're sure that his new restaurant, PROOF, will have the same stamina that he has.

PROOF opened today in the Z Ocean Hotel on Miami Beach's Ocean Drive, and the most delectable part of its menu is the Ricky's Picks section. Handpicked by the NFL star so that he "can order entrées," the section's hearty and humane options range from a black-bean burger to rice noodles and tofu.

Kudos to Ricky for creating a menu that makes my mouth water just by reading it. You'll definitely find me seated at PROOF on my next trip to Miami.

Written by Logan Scherer