VOL. 1: My First time at Ford Field

As a transfer student from Syracuse University, my time at the University of Michigan is limited in comparison to others. With that being said, I created a goal to attend a Lions game before I graduated. I was pleasantly surprised to see a seemingly competitive game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions offer preferred seats at a reasonable cost. I had a clear view of the entire field and stadium, unobstructed by crowds, yet close enough to still see the names on the backs of each player. 

As someone from Los Angeles, I had only been to Detroit when I flew into the airport. As someone from a big city, I had a general idea of the traffic that may be an obstacle; however, the drive from Ann Arbor to Ford Field was longer than expected. I assume people had the same thought process when choosing this game, as it was a sold-out crowd with over 64,000 people in attendance. My Uber driver expressed the same distaste for the overbearing traffic, shouting profanities when dealing with other drivers set on making it to Ford Field on time. 

When I finally arrived in downtown Detroit, I was met by a diverse mix of locals in the area. While Lions fans dominated the atmosphere, fans of numerous teams flowed in like a river to the stadium’s entrance. Stepping out of the car, I felt the cool air converge with the warmth of excitement that rushed through my body. Fans of all ages were chanting, waving towels and rushing to make it inside the stadium. I joined the crowd and was met with questions, granted I was wearing my neon green Jaxon Smith-Njigba jersey; I enjoyed the ridicule and trash talk I received from Lions fans. Once I arrived at my seat, I was enthralled by the passionate fans and the engaging atmosphere at Ford Field. I arrived just in time for the opening kickoff and I knew that whether the Lions won or lost, this would be an unforgettable experience. 

From the opening snap, the energy that reverberated through the stadium was electric. The Lions controlled the game early, established by a 27-yard pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown to open the scoring. After over a quarter of back-and-forth punting and turnovers, Jahmyr Gibbs struck lightning and brought the crowd back to life with a staggering 78-yard run for a touchdown that put the Lions up 14-0. A late field goal put the Buccaneers on the scoreboard, but it was clear that Detroit was dominating this game. After halftime, the Buccaneers gave spectators a false sense of hope when Tez Johnson caught a pass from Baker Mayfield, faked out multiple players and then flipped into the endzone. 

As an unbiased spectator who was in attendance for an entertaining result, it was amusing scoping out the stands and seeing the colors in Lions’ fans’ faces fizzle out. Luckily for Detroit fans, that touchdown was the last of the offensive dominance from the Buccaneers, as they were shut out for the remainder of the game. While they came close to the endzone, the Buccaneers failed to enter again, while Jahmyr Gibbs scored his second touchdown and Jake Bates hit a field goal to give the Lions a 24-9 lead. 

When the clock bled out, Lions fans waved their phones like concertgoers. The attendees cheered, sang and danced to celebrate the victory over a presumed Super Bowl contender. As mentioned before, I am not a Lions fan; however, I was immersed in the culture that had seen struggle for so many years, hit a turning point recently and continues to improve. What started as a personal goal for me had turned into something far more meaningful and impactful. It was never just about football. It was about belonging — even in my Seattle Seahawks jersey, I never felt more like a Detroit native.