Atlanta ( CNN ) -- More than two dozen college players on three major Division I football teams staged an unauthorized protest of the NCAA during their games Saturday . With black marker , they wrote the letters `` APU '' standing for `` All Players United '' on their gear as part of a pledge calling for NCAA reform . The pledge , designed by the nonprofit group the National College Players Association ( NCPA ) , calls for the NCAA to take more steps to minimize brain trauma , and for money to be designated to increase scholarships and graduation rates , and guarantee medical treatment . It also includes support for those involved in Ed O'Bannon 's lawsuit against the NCAA . O'Bannon , a former UCLA basketball star , is suing for the rights to his own likeness in video games and TV broadcasts . `` The priorities are misplaced and part of this movement is to address that , '' said Ramogi Huma , president of the NCPA . Twenty-eight athletes playing for Northwestern , University of Georgia and Georgia Tech were seen participating . `` I think it was a smart decision by the players to design a campaign as visible as the logos that they wear , '' Huma said . Mixed reaction on protest . After the games , the NCAA said in a statement that it `` supports open and civil debate regarding all aspects of college athletics . '' But there was less room for discourse after the Georgia Tech game , where head coach Paul Johnson said , `` I assure you that now that I am aware of it we 'll talk to them about it . '' Two players who participated at two different universities told CNN they wanted to talk about it , but backed out of interviews after their respective games . CNN caught up with two other players who wore APU on their gear after the Georgia Tech game . Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee backed away from his actions , saying he wrote it as a favor to injured teammate Isaiah Johnson . Defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu told CNN that he , too , made a last-minute decision to wear APU , but that he does believe in the cause . `` I know the guys out there go to Georgia Tech and do n't have the academics to fall back and things like that so , you know , looking out for everybody , '' Attaochu said . A team handler who was standing nearby discouraged CNN from asking questions about the pledge , and cut questions short . Huma , the NCPA president , later told CNN that he had n't heard of any players being disciplined for wearing the gear . Controversies plague NCAA . The silent protest is just another example of growing dissent for the NCAA . Controversies over suspending players , handling of academic scandals , players ' rights and medical concerns plague the organization . This summer , Pennsylvania Congressman Charles Dent introduced legislation that would overhaul the NCAA . `` This is big business . 6.1 billion dollars annually , '' Dent said . `` A lot of people are profiting off this . I would not say that the students are . '' Dent said he 's particularly troubled by the fact that the NCAA can cut short a player 's education if they get hurt . `` Let 's be clear , and the concussion issue relates to the scholarship issue , '' Dent said . `` If a student feels ... that they are going to lose their athletic scholarship because of a concussion or some injury , something that is not necessarily visible , he 'll be less inclined to report that injury out of fear that they 're going to lose a scholarship . '' Huma said the NCAA does n't force universities to pay medical bills for injured players , and that if a student does n't graduate before their eligibility expires , they are n't guaranteed an education . He also sees a great disparity in who profits from the games . A former UCLA linebacker , Huma told CNN he started the NCPA in 2001 after he watched a teammate get suspended by the NCAA for accepting groceries -- a violation of the rule that athletes ca n't accept gifts . `` And at the time they were selling his jerseys at the stores and it just really made me feel like college athletes needed a voice , '' Huma said . The NCPA has grown into a nonprofit that says it has 17,000 members . `` Any way we can gain leverage , we try , '' Huma said . `` We feel like we 're on the right side of the argument and we 're going to succeed . ''
The `` All Players United Campaign '' took to football fields on Saturday . About two dozen players at three schools wore the letters `` APU '' on their gear Saturday . The campaign is aimed at reforms in the NCAA to protect athletes ' rights and safety . Group 's president : " We are here today because we believe that our children deserve a safe environment where they can play sports without fear of injury or death from head injuries, concussions, and other forms of traumatic brain damage