Antoine Bethea of the Indianapolis Colts is a hard hitting defensive back. He’s vicious out on the NFL playing field for the AFC South Champs. But when it comes to animals killed for fur, Antoine Bethea has a softer side. That’s why he chose to show off his amply tattooed torso in a brand-new PETA ad that carries the caption “Play Hard and Make Kind Choices—Mine Is Ink, Not Mink.”
The stunning ad, which was shot by top celebrity photographer Sabin Orr, can be viewed after the jump
“It was important for me to get involved with ‘Ink, Not Mink’ just because of what it’s about. It’s about really talking about the cruelty to animals, what they have to go through,” Antoine Bethea told PETA in an exclusive interview. “I’m most definitely a big fan of ink, as you can see, and … I would rather wear ink than mink any day.”
PETA and Antoine Bethea want shoppers to know that every year, millions of animals, including foxes, minks, raccoons, rabbits, chinchillas, and even cats and dogs, are electrocuted, beaten, drowned, strangled, and skinned alive for their fur. For every piece of fur—whether it’s a full-length coat or a bit of trim on a collar or cuff—animals suffered immensely.
Bethea joins a growing list of top athletes—including Terrell Suggs, Willis McGahee, Maurice Jones-Drew, Tony Gonzalez, Aaron Curry, Amar’e Stoudemire, Michael Strahan, Gilbert Arenas, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, and Tito Ortiz—who have teamed up with PETA to fight cruelty to animals.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS Catch him Tuesdays talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN 1620 The Zone, Fridays talking Chicago Bears for WAOR 95.7 The Fan