Three years ago, ahead of a Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup against the Detroit Lions, running back Aaron Jones – then of the Green Bay Packers – took the field with a heavy heart.
Advertisement
His father, Alvin Jones Sr., had died five days prior to the game, leaving him sad and distraught ahead of kickoff:
“I really didn’t want to be out there… [I] go out there, and I just start crying.”
As he was trying to “get it together”, Jones looked to the sky and became overwhelmed by a calming presence. When he ran out of the tunnel, he said “I can feel my father with me.”
Then, Jones brought his father onto the gridiron with him. And after leaving it all on the field, he accidentally left his father there, too.
You see, Jones crafted a pendant to hold some of his father’s ashes. And he wore it during the contest, where he matched a career-high by notching four touchdowns in a 35-17 victory. Unfortunately, he lost it while celebrating his second scoring plunge.
“I get to the sideline, and I go ‘Hey, I lost my dad’s ashes in the end zone somewhere’. Our trainer… he’s like, ‘You lost your dad in the right place’… it hit me. And I’m like ‘if I’m gonna lose my dad somewhere, [it] better be in the endzone.”
Green Bay’s trainer, Bryan Engel – affectionately called “Flea” by Jones – did more than just ease Jones’ concerns at the moment. Once the game ended, he searched for the pendant, eventually finding it more than two hours later.
Jones’ gifts for his trainer and his family
Jones was very grateful to Engel for his help in locating the pendant. A month after the incident, he showed Engel just how much he appreciated the gesture by giving him motorized scooters.
All love.@Showtyme_33 surprised head athletic trainer Bryan “Flea” Engel with scooters for his family as a heartfelt thank you after Engel stayed at Lambeau Field through the early-morning hours to find Jones’ lost pendant containing his father’s ashes. pic.twitter.com/Pi5hUItuQU
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 19, 2021
In Week 4, Jones makes his return to Green Bay as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. While he may have some animosity toward the Packers’ front office for cutting him this offseason, he certainly doesn’t harbor any anger toward Engel. He is likely to give him a warm greeting before the opening kickoff.
