GREEN BAY, Wis. — Thanks to some ingenuity by the Green Bay Packers‘ equipment staff, running back Aaron Jones has a way to keep his late father’s ashes close to him during games.
After Jones lost the medallion that contained Alvin Jones Sr.’s ashes during a Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions — and then recovered it thanks to Packers athletic trainer Bryan Engel, who found it in the Lambeau Field end zone grass — Jones had the ashes with him during last Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones said longtime equipment manager Gordon “Red” Batty has since sewed a pocket inside Jones’ No. 33 jersey.
“He put a pocket right on the left side,” Jones said Friday, pointing just above his heart. “So I can just drop it in there and not have to worry about it falling out. So I can play with it.”
In fact, the game against the 49ers is the only time he’s had his father’s ashes with him since the chain broke.
“I think it’s something I’ll continue to do, just keep my dad with me everywhere I go,” Jones said. “I wear it mostly at all time. Gotta get a new chain so I haven’t been wearing it except for on Sundays, but I think it’s definitely something I’ll continue to do.”
Alvin Jones Sr. died of COVID-19 complications in April at age 56.