Friday Night Lights, Blue Flags Help Oklahoma Referees Raise Cancer Awareness

The Friday night lights are helping shine a light on a subject many would rather not discuss.

Football fans know the average penalty flag is yellow, but one group of referees is using blue penalty flags to bring awareness to prostate cancer.

For the most part, referees try to stay invisible as they run along the field, but Randy Jeffers said his group is standing out, in hopes to bring attention to the cause.

“We, as officials, we like to go through a game and just not be noticed. However, when we do throw a flag, it's always yellow flag. If we throw a blue flag, someone is going to notice it right off and they are going to ask what it's about, and if we can explain what it's about, and explain what prostate cancer is, that's what it's all about," Jeffers said.

He is battling prostate cancer himself, and one of his colleagues has recovered from the disease.

Jeffers said, "Cancer is an ugly thing, just the word cancer evokes all kinds of ugly thoughts."

The Centers for Disease Controls says men should start getting screened for prostate cancer by the time they are 45.

Jeffers said he found out about his cancer early on, but that's not always the case. He said going to the doctor isn't always important for men, but he said football games provide the perfect platform to encourage men to get checked.

"We saw the blue prostate cancer flags on the Internet and thought, there are a lot of men who watch football; it's all about men, we need to raise the awareness of prostate cancer," he said.

Jeffers and his friends have only been using the penalty flags for a few weeks, and it's definitely making people aware.

As for his battle, Jeffers said staying active helps, but it's still hard mentally. But, with each day, he holds onto faith to get through.

"You know, in the end, I know that God's got this, it's all good," he said.

Jeffers said he doesn't know how long his group of referees will keep using the blue flags, but if it helps get the word out, he'll be happy to keep using them.