49ers safety changing legal name to 'Donte Hitner'

Hard-hitting defensive back Donte Whitner said he is about to change his name to something that suits him better.

This week on Twitter, Whitner said he would change his last name to "Hitner." At first, it appeared to be a joke as he said he'd need permission from his mother to go through with it.

Thinking about taking the W out of my last name. Mom said its ok (y'all kno I had to ask 1st lol) #NotPlayingEither

— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) October 1, 2013

But then, he put out T-shirts that said "#LegalHitner." By Wednesday morning, he said it was official.

It's official...The W is being removed from my last name from Whitner to Hitner...GM

— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) October 2, 2013

Whitner hopes to debut the new name on Sunday in the game against the Houston Texans, but it will probably take another week before he gets a new uniform with the new name on the back.

He has also been in touch with Nike to determine how many 'Whitner' jerseys are still in retail stores, and whether he would need to contribute to make a complete switch.

The change may put him further under the microscope for hits, as he has already gotten fined for unnecessary roughness in recent games.