Jacoby Ford made a splash as a rookie when he showed that he has the talent and speed to be a game breaking wide receiver in the NFL. However, this offseason, he made a splash for something he claims he had nothing to do with.
News came out recently that the NFL is looking into possible legal infringement on intellectual property rights with regards to an advertisement for a party associated with the Exxxotica Expo, a convention of porn stars. The ad in question shows a number of NFL players, including Jacoby Ford, in their team jerseys as a promotion for the party.
Players are certainly allowed to make money off of their likeness, however, the teams, and not the players, are the only ones who have the right to allow use of their jerseys and team logos.
Ever since news of the ad came out, many of the NFL players in the ad have claimed that they were unaware of the use of their likeness. The most recent being Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford.
In a statement released Thursday, Ford states that he did not permit the use of his likeness and is fully behind the NFL’s efforts to get to the bottom of the scandal. Ford stated that he was disappointed that someone would use his likeness without first obtaining the propper permission and insisted that this was not the type of event he would lend his name to.
In an off-season where Raiders players have already had some off the field issues (specifically, Michael Bush’s drunk driving and Mario Henderson’s arrest for carrying a concealed weapon) Ford’s quick response to this most recent drama should be welcome by the Raider Nation.