RICHMOND, VA -- Zach Hocker gave them the option. Now he wishes he had just given them a bad skit.
When it came time for skits by the Washington Redskins' rookies, the place-kicker came up empty and announced words he came to regret a day later:
"I'll cut my hair however you want to cut it," Hocker told his 89 teammates Wednesday night.
So they were shown three options, chose one and Hocker was left with a shaved head -- except for a shaggy strip that stretches from one side to the other which has made him a hit on social media.
No one ever said your rookie season would be easy... pic.twitter.com/KjZA3NCg5V
- Zach Hocker (@zhocker18) July 31, 2014He said it felt good when it happened, but he awoke Thursday morning with a different feeling.
"I kind of regret it now," said Hocker, who signed autographs with a hat covering much of his head Thursday. "In the moment it was fun, but now I wish I had thought of something funny for the team ... I didn't anticipate this. I got up on the stage and they put up three pictures for the team to vote on. This was my look. They let me have it and there I went."
And there it will stay for at least a week, per orders from the veterans. Hocker said he wants to shave off the rest for the Aug. 7 preseason opener against New England. But he said that's still being negotiated.
"Right now they're saying no," he said, "so it's not going as I planned but hopefully I can get that thing off real soon."
Hocker's kicking competition, incumbent Kai Forbath, performed the honors. But the overall experience left some teammates baffled.
"I would have made something up before I cut my hair like that," quarterback Robert Griffin III said. "More power to him, but it's pretty hilarious."
If only Hocker, who played at Arkansas, had come up with something. Had he bombed, teammates would have booed him and he'd have to return to the stage. But he'd still have his hair.
"I really didn't expect all the hype around it because a lot of rookies get their hair cut, but I guess this is taking it to another level," Hocker said. "I'm glad everybody's liking it."