(CBS DETROIT) — As much love as the Lions receive from Detroit sports fans, they give it back to the community.
Nearly 65,000 fans showed and witnessed their love for the Lions Sunday at Ford Field Historic victory on Sunday.
Safety Kerby Joseph recorded his league-leading seventh interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, while wide receiver Jameson Williams caught four passes for 124 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown on the first drive of the second half.
But their day wasn’t over after they left everything on the grass. They immediately returned that love, surprising fans after the game at a youth center in Detroit. Their presence at The Yunion’s annual turkey drive proves that sometimes it even feels better to give than to receive.
“Big smiles, wide eyes. They were excited to be able to see them up close and personal and have their pictures taken with them. They were handing out memorabilia, getting autographs and things like that. That was huge for them,” said Ronald Lee Jr., program director at The Yunion Strategy. “I was surprised they came. I was like, ‘Wait a minute, do you want to come after the game?’ I think that’s exactly what they stand for: giving something back to the city. They see that without the city there are no lions.”
The partnership netted community members about 100 turkeys, or about 21 feet per bird when you break it down by Sunday’s statistics.
Within hours of giving it their all on the field, Joseph and Williams gave everything they had left to those who cheered them on.
In the past two seasons since the so-called “Brand New Lions” emerged, they have seen receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery and quarterback Jared Goff etch themselves into the NFL record books. The one remnant of the ‘Same Old Lions’ that everyone loves to keep is the way they always give back to the fans.
Jack Springgate
