A note to all professional athletes: Be careful what endorsements you wish for, as those companies might actually be interested in you.

Washington Redskins running back Roy Helu Jr. learned that lesson this week after mentioning in an interview that he wouldn't mind a shampoo deal. Helu hasn't cut his hair in a year, and when he was asked if he was hoping for an endorsement, a la Troy Polamalu and Head and Shoulders, Helu didn't exactly deny interest.

"That’s not the purpose of growing my hair out,” Helu said. "I want to make sure that I say that. But, you know, if something comes along? Suave? I’m not a Suave user, but I know that they’re pretty affordable, and I want to be marketed to the blue-collar people who can’t afford Head & Shoulders. Suave’s No. 1, you know?”

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post picked up on Helu's comment, which was extremely fortunate for Helu. Steinberg and Sarah Kogod, who run the Post's Washington Sports Bog, have helped a pair of Redskins earn sweet deals from companies -- Chris Thompson from Starburst and Niles Paul from Capri Sun.

So once Steinberg started advocating for Helu, some free shampoo was all but imminent. Suave made the gift official in a tweet:


Helu told Kogod that he doesn't use Twitter and found out about Suave's present through other people. And while Helu is happy to score the free shampoo, his wife may be even happier.

"I wonder what that is, though, because all I think about is shampoo and conditioner,” Helu said. “Maybe styling gel, all that stuff. It’ll be interesting. A lot of it will be used by my wife as well. She already does my hair. If she wants it to look nice, I ask her to."