By Ross Jones, FOXSports.com 49ers safety Donte Whitner isn’t afraid to punish an opponent if the right occasion presents itself. It’s a part of playing the position. He’s an enforcer and playing for the 49ers’ tough-as-nails defense comes at a price. So, while Whitner plans to appeal his $21K fine for a hit on Rams receiver Chris Givens, he fired off a tweet about an impending name change.
Whitner has been referred to 'Hitner' for years because of his hard-hitting style, but now Whitner's lawyer has filed paperwork to make it official by removing the "W" — but not before running it by his mother first. Another point of contention could be the potential jersey sales. Whitner has reached out to Nike to see how many Whitner jerseys are on the racks and if he would need to contribute to make the switch. Oh yes, a name change. We haven’t seen this one before. Donte Hitner. Has a nice ring to it. Wait a minute. It doesn’t have a good ring to it. Try saying it three times fast. Maybe Mr. Whitner — err Hitner — needs to think this one through.
