Using a comprehensive dataset of NFL player misconduct incidents (2000-2008) that cross the field of football to the field of the public at large, we examine how institutional leaders reinforce the values of the broader institution in the face of a challenge to the legitimacy of professional football. We find that unlike organizational leaders, who often engage in decoupling of rhetoric and activity, institutional leaders must remain tightly coupled across both. We also find evidence that normative forces may impact the likelihood of the institutional leader reasserting the values of the institution; media coverage of the misconduct and a critical mass of incidents in a small window of time (i.e., salience) both lead to institutional leadership action. So do incidents that cross field boundaries that result in harm to members of the public, especially in cases of domestic violence. All together, the findings provide unique insights into institutional leadership and highlight key differences with organizat...