SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A man from Maine has painted New England Patriots players' cleats for the second straight season as part of the National Football League's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative.
Once a year, the NFL loosens its strict rules around the homogeneity of players' uniforms so the athletes can draw attention to causes close to their hearts. Players pick a cause, whether they have personal ties to it or want to use their platform to bring awareness to it, such as foundations for underprivileged kids, food pantries, mental health organizations, and more. Local artists then custom-paint the players' cleats. All players have the option to donate their cleats to NFL Auction in order to raise money for their chosen causes.
A Portland man custom painted each pair for the New England Patriots. Eamon White, 36, is an artist who's working with the team for the second year in a row. It all started when he applied to create a gameday poster for the Patriots. Through networking and persistence, White reached out to the team in 2023 to paint their custom cleats, and he ended up doing 33 pairs that season. The team brought him back again this season.
"Working on these all these cleats is actually a lot fun, but it's hard," White explained. "I get to put myself in the shoes as well because some of the causes they worked with have gone on in my family, too."
For example, cleats focused on cancer fundraising or adoption. White is adopted, and his grandmother died from cancer. Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss is also adopted.
"You get to realize they're just like you. I'm adopted; that person's adopted. It's cool to me to connect on that too," White said. "One of the guys you watch on TV — he's adopted, he looks like you, and you're now doing his cleats for him. It builds a connection."
This season, White is making another 30-plus cleats. He had to make mock-ups, get them approved, and then hand paint and stencil all of them. He also made shoes for team staff. In some cases, he designed the shoes right in front of them.
"I love to find ways to combine football and art together. It's like the perfect marriage pretty much," White said.
White is not only an artist, but a former football player. After growing up in Portland, he played guard and center at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, and at the University of Maine. Now, he coaches Scarborough's junior varsity football team and is a video production teacher at Gorham High School.
White said his grandmother, who lives in Damariscotta, would teach him and his sister techniques she learned in art classes she was taking. He carried those skills to UMaine, where majoring in graphic design and surprising teammates with his talent.
"It's kind of cool to see their face, and they're like, 'You're the designer?' I'm like, 'Yeah. I'm just this big old football player who now does art,'" White said. "I get to combine football and art, my two most passions together, and just paint and have fun with it. Couldn't ask for a better job."
The Patriots wore their custom cleats during their game Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Learn more about the charities players, coaches, and staff chose here.
White has his own business for commissioning his artwork, too. Find more information here.
