When the Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday to win the NFC North for the first time in 30 years, John “Jack” Jones was overjoyed.
He is 103 years old and has been a Lions fan his entire life.
“Well, it’s been so long since we’ve had a winning team that I’m very, very excited,” Jones told FOX 2 on Thursday. “I’m just hoping they’re going to go a lot further now.”
FOX 2 met Jones at his Sterling Heights independent living community. He was wearing a Lions t-shirt and enjoying time with his daughter and Camden, his 10-year-old great-grandson, who is also a Lions fan.
“I think the front office and Dan Campbell did a fantastic job with the draft,” Jones, who has 11 great grandchildren, added. “They picked up some free agent players, and they just put that winning aspect into their team this year.”\
Jones recalled attending a “very cold game” between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears at Tiger Stadium in the 1960s. Season after season, he remained a devoted fan, attending as many games as possible when they were televised.
“Every year at the beginning of the year we were always getting hyped up about the change they made and how good they were going to do,” he told me. “And after three or four games, we knew that wasn’t going to happen.” And this year is unique.”
Jones noted that he knew this season would be different after the Lions won six of their last seven games last season. He believes the club has a chance to win the Super Bowl and is ready to celebrate.
“I’m going to try,” he remarked, laughing, when asked about street dancing. “I don’t move around much anymore.”
Terry Corrigan of Lake City, another die-hard Lions fan, said he’s happy the club won the NFC North, but he’d be more happier if they won the Super Bowl.
“When they won, I jumped up and screamed,” Corrigan recalled Wednesday via Zoom. “My youngest son looked at me as if to say, ‘He’s gone insane or something, what’s going on here?'” But he knows how much I love the lions.”
“They say, ‘You nailed it. “How did you know?” he wondered. “I don’t know if I knew, but I had really good inclination of it.”
His son took a picture of the momentous triumph on Sunday and shared it on social media. The post quickly went viral.
“He goes,’you got 14,000 likes or whatever in a day,'” Corrigan explained. “And I thought, ‘Is that good?'” “I’m not sure.”
Corrigan is now hoping to alter his license only one more time.
“I would love a Super Bowl for the Detroit Lions,” stated the former NFL player. “But I feel like they’ve got a great milestone here and if they give us a Super Bowl, even better.”
