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With their father making an emotional return to the Motor City for Sunday’s playoff game against his former team, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s sons were seen sporting ‘Detroit Born LA Raised’ jackets as they entered the stadium with his mother, Kelly.
The Stafford twins, Sawyer and Chandler, were presented by their mother to Lions team owner Martha Firestone Ford, who got a glimpse of the jackets emblazoned with the Dodgers’ ‘LA’ logo.
Stafford had spent 12 years in Detroit after the Lions selected him with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, before ultimately trading him to the LA Rams.
In fact, Stafford was traded for current Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff, adding a level of intrigue to the playoff race.
Stafford also received a request from legendary rapper Eminem, a Detroit native, who asked the QB for a “favor” and if he could “let us have this one.”
Kelly Stafford is pictured at Ford Field with her twin daughters, Sawyer and Chandler.
Matthew Stafford’s children wore jackets that said ‘Detroit born LA raised’ on the back
Stafford and the Rams faced the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday.
Although Stafford is still beloved in Detroit from his time with the Lions, the two-time Pro Bowler received the exact type of hostile welcome an opposing team would expect before entering a playoff game.
Not only was Stafford greeted with a stadium full of boos when he ran onto the field for the final time during pregame activities, but he and the Rams offense were aggressively booed as they took the field for their first drive of the game.
Before the game, Stafford told the Rams’ official website that he didn’t necessarily expect a positive reception upon returning to his old stomping grounds.
“To be honest, I don’t expect anything,” Stafford said. ‘…I think the most important thing for me is to just experience whatever that experience is. “I understand what the people of Detroit and what the city of Detroit meant to me, my time and my career, what they meant to my family, I hope they feel that too.”
“But at the same time, I’m not oblivious to the situation and I understand that I’m the bad guy coming to town,” he added.
Stafford’s wife, Kelly, also had some words ahead of her husband’s return to Detroit after commenting on an alleged jersey ban during the pregame period. The supposed ban was created by fans and had nothing to do with the team.
“Please do not wear a Lions-Stafford jersey to the game,” a post on Instagram read. ‘This is not a time to be cute or funny. It’s all about business and putting the final nail in SOL’s coffin. … It is not personal. Only business!’
Kelly responded to the post in the comments saying, “Well this is sad because it’s the complete opposite of how we feel about this city, but Matthew has always been the bigger person and will continue to be,” she wrote. “Praying for an incredible game without injuries.”
Some fans were seen wearing t-shirts with Stafford’s name crossed out after a ‘t-shirt ban’.
Stafford spent the first 12 seasons of his NFL career playing quarterback for the Detroit Lions.
She became one of the few well-known wives in the NFL after her battle with a brain tumor became public in 2019.
The mother-of-three had the benign tumor removed in a 30-hour surgery before enduring a grueling recovery period plagued by problems with her balance.
Kelly and Matthew met at the University of Georgia, where he was the star quarterback and she was a cheerleader.
Stafford was selected by the Lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
The couple married in 2015 and now share twins Sawyer and Chandler, as well as daughter Hunter.