GRETNA, La. -- New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has created a T-shirt to celebrate his team's success and raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti, where his parents are from and he still has relatives.
The black shirt bears the phrase "Department of Domeland Defense" over a design of crossed axes and a metallic-looking, sharp-pointed gold fleur-de-lis holding a pair of skulls.
The design is "killer. Better than anything I've been a part of," said Todd Robinson of Bonza Graphics, which is printing the shirt.
Vilma said his aunts and uncles in Haiti are fine, but he still wants to help the stricken island nation.
He says he can't put his full attention to the crisis because of preparations for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against Minnesota.
"I don't want to just hand money over to anybody," he said. "I want to make sure it goes to where the help really needs to be, so after this game I'm really going to take some time to understand where I can help and do whatever I can."
In the meantime, he said, some of the money raised from T-shirt sales will go toward a Haitian relief fund.
"We're proud to be part of what I think will be a really good thing for Haiti," Robinson said.
