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Professional football was built to be played on natural grass, says NFL all-star
Von Miller among those petitioning for league-wide change in turf
June 8, 2023 By Turf & Rec
Photo: David Prahl / Adobe Stock Football is a game that was built on natural grass, Buffalo Bills all-star Von Miller says.
Miller, who tore his right ACL last season in a game played on artificial turf in Detroit, is an advocate for the elimination of artificial turf fields in the National Football League. He’s been injured twice on artificial turf and joins two other NFL players leading Pennington’s “Flip the Turf” campaign in which players and fans are urged to sign a change.org petition to have all league stadiums grown to natural grass.
The NFL Players Association is also advocating a change from artificial to natural turf.
The NFL, however, says switching from one surface type to another is a complicated matter. Issues cited include natural turf’s propensity to sustain damage when other events take place at a stadium, but Miller says what’s best for football should always take priority over events such as concerts and monster truck shows.
He added he’s allergic to natural grass, but says he’d rather sneeze and develop hives than play on a harder surface.
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