Being a Detroit Lions Fan is About More Than Just Football for This Detroiter

When Detroiter Denise Ford attended the 2024 Superbowl in her Hawaiian blue and silver Lions jersey, she got quite the reception.

Families stopped her to take photos with her and her Lions jersey. Strangers from across the country told her they’d been rooting for the Lions, and they hoped they’d come back even stronger next year.

The previous year, in 2023, Ford was invited to the Superbowl as part of the NFL’s Fan of the Year program. Keep in mind, this was before the Lion’s winning streak.

“Other fans laughed at me,” she says. “They said ‘Kid, you’ve got to notice you’re wearing a Lions jersey.’”

Still, this didn’t dissuade Ford.

You might have a certain image in mind when you think of any NFL team’s Fan of the Year. Ford bucks those stereotypes.

At 70 years old, she is a lifelong Detroiter, youth minister, and a current senior at Wayne State University, set to graduate this December.

It was actually at Wayne State, between classes, when Ford saw a Facebook ad for the NFL Fan of the Year program and decided to apply.

“The ad said, are you the biggest Lions fan? And I was like… I think I am,” says Ford. So, she quickly penned an essay about how she’s supported her home team over the years.

Another way that Ford stands out from the stereotypical mega football fan? She doesn’t actually attend that many football games, nor does she have season tickets.

Instead, she supports the Lions by organizing tailgate parties at her senior citizen apartment building.

“Seniors have a love of sports… but they don’t have the money to get season tickets, and they don’t have transportation to even get to a game. I wanted them to feel like they were still part of the sports team in Detroit,” Ford says.

When Ford got the phone call that she’d been shortlisted for Fan of the Year, she was stunned (actually, she didn’t even return the first phone call because she thought it must be a mistake).

She was even more stunned a few weeks later when she got another phone call inviting her, and her tailgating friends, to a Lions game where the winner would be announced.

“They sent a party bus for us,” says Ford. “I thought, this feels like I’m living in a Barbie world… I’m in another world. I’m not in Detroit anymore. I’m in Kansas with the dog!”

At the game, she was invited onto Ford Field where it was announced in front of 65,000 fans that she’d won the Detroit Lions Fan of the Year. She was also given a flatscreen TV and Superbowl tickets.

“I was frozen, I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “I was like, all of this because I do tailgate parties for seniors?”

“When I won, they told me that the Lions exemplify community involvement,” says Ford. “It’s not just about the game, it’s about caring about other people.”

And according to Ford, you might be surprised by what goes on at these senior building tailgates.

“We act as crazy as the people at the game act,” she says. “You wouldn’t believe it… It’s like we come under the grandmother image, but [at the tailgate parties] we can talk like we’re in high school again. It brings a lot out.”

The Lions remains a huge part of Ford’s life, even though she’s technically not their Fan of the Year anymore.

She’s continued her tailgate parties, and is even considering expanding to other senior citizen buildings in Detroit.

“I hope to spread them to more senior buildings, so people don’t have to go out to a recreation center,” she says.

The idea is for people to be able to come down to their building’s dining area, bring their own food or eat provided food, and watch the game together like they’re at the stadium. The goal is to make tailgating – and the community it fosters – accessible to more people.

Currently, she’s working on distributing flyers, and also considering hosting these parties in nursing homes as well as senior buildings.

Ford is adamant that you don’t need to attend games in person to be a fan. “One game, two games, or none, anyone can be a fan.”

After having injured her back the prior year and spending her first Superbowl in a wheelchair, she wanted a redo. And, she definitely got one.

“The whole attitude [toward the Lions] was totally different, which made me so proud,” says Ford. “This was the same team that people laughed at me at the Super Bowl for last year. They have so much respect for not only the Lions, but Detroit. It’s totally day and night.”

Based on her observations at both the 2023 and 2024 Superbowls – both attended proudly in her Lions jersey – Ford believes that the Lions have a lot to do with positive national opinions of Detroit. At this year’s Superbowl, people spoke to her about Detroit with a smile on their face.

“That’s way different from last year,” she says. “I want the Lions to know… what they have done. The country feels like Detroit has pulled together and [the Lions] are mostly responsible for that.”

Be sure to attend the 2024 NFL Draft – a free event held April 25-27 in downtown Detroit. In addition to watching the draft, there are tons of fun events and interactive exhibits for the community. Try your hand at games like the 40-yeard dash, head to the autograph stage where you can meet current and former NFL players, hit up the food trucks, and so much more.

You may even meet Denise Ford (and plenty of other home team fans) volunteering throughout the event.

As for rooting for the Lions in this upcoming season? Ford says she can’t wait until September, and has high hopes for the season. She also has some wisdom to offer.

“We all play a role in this, to support our guys. Never let anybody talk down on them. Let people know – and especially let the Lions know – we are behind them 100%.”

And as for Detroit itself?

“Detroit is a very unique city. It’s a city where people come together, especially when they’re counted out. That is what [the Lions] have done and that’s what I’m quite sure they’ll continue to do.”