- The Packers added a special pocket to Aaron Jones' jersey to protect his father's ashes.
- Previously, Jones wore his father's ashes in a pendant, which was briefly lost during a game.
- Jones' father died earlier this year at the age of 56 from complications with COVID-19.
Packers running back Aaron Jones no longer has to worry about losing his father's ashes on the playing field, thanks to some innovative work from the Green Bay equipment staff.
Back in Week 2, Jones played a stellar game against the Detroit Lions while wearing a pendant that contained a portion of his father's ashes. Jones' father, Alvin Jones Sr., died earlier this year at the age of 56 from complications with COVID-19.
Jones scored four touchdowns against the Lions, but the necklace that held the pendant fell off during one of his trips to the end zone.
"He'd be happy. He'd be like, 'If you lose it anywhere, lose it in the end zone,'" Jones said in a postgame interview.
After a late-night search, the pendant was eventually found by Packers trainer Bryan "Flea" Engel at nearly 2 a.m.
With the medallion secured, the Packers went about thinking of ways to help Jones ensure that he wouldn't lose it again. The problem was solved by Green Bay equipment manager Gordon "Red" Batty, who stitched a small pocket into the interior of Jones' jersey in order to keep the pendant safe.
—Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 3, 2021
"He put a pocket right on the left side," Jones said in early October per ESPN, after the jersey adjustment was made. "So I can just drop it in there and not have to worry about it falling out. So I can play with it."
"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."
Jones spoke more about the support he received from the Packers as a guest on "The Adam Schefter Podcast."
—Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 6, 2021
"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 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."
