After running back Aaron Jones briefly lost a pendant containing his late father’s ashes during a game last month, the Green Bay Packers have found a creative solution that allows him to keep them on his person during games moving forward.
Jones, who lost his father in April at the age of 56 due to complications from COVID-19, now has a pocket inside of his jersey thanks to longtime Packers equipment manager Gordon “Red” Batty.
“He put a pocket right on the left side, so I can just drop it in there and I don’t have to worry about it falling out, so I can play with it,” Jones said during a press conference last week.
Jones originally wore the football-shaped pendant on a chain, but it fell off in the end zone when Jones scored a touchdown against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 20. It was later found by athletic trainer Bryan “Flea” Engel.
“It just shows how special our staff is, and our support staff here with the Packers in Green Bay from the training staff to our equipment staff to (the) coaching staff to GM,” Jones told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “Just the whole time I’ve been experiencing this and dealing with this, they’ve been there for me from the funeral to this.”
Jones used the pocket for the first time in Sunday’s 30-28 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He carried the ball 19 times for 82 yards and one touchdown.
Photo courtesy of @Packers on Twitter.