Kelly Stafford, the wife of former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, is sending a message to the people of Detroit ahead of the Lions vs. Rams game on Sunday, September 8.
Kelly has penned a special letter to Detroit via Local 4’s Hank Winchester, and in it, she writes about her affection for the Motor City.
Kelly Stafford: ‘Detroit Still Has My Heart’
In the note, published on Friday, September 6, Kelly wrote, “I would love to sit here and tell you I have no feelings for this place and it was easy to move on because I feel like that’s what is supposed to happen when you move, but I just can’t do it. Detroit still has my heart, no matter how hard I tried to push it out, and sitting here reflecting, it’s starting to become a little more clear to me.”
Elsewhere in the letter, Kelly praised the local community, saying it “molded” her and that “Detrioters never expected handouts, but worked hard for what they wanted and were given.”
“I learned that no matter what you might be facing, if you are a Detroiter, this community will always rally behind you,” Kelly added. “I call that ‘loyalty,’ and I believe it’s one of the most fleeting traits there is, but not here in this city.”
But, make no mistake. Kelly says she’ll be “cheering for the team that my husband is on” and that “there is absolutely zero question about that (so, yes, I want him to kick your butt Sunday).” But, she added that “I respect and love this city and the people in it too much to not cheer for them when my husband isn’t on the other side.”
The full letter is available to read via Local 4.
Kelly Stafford Says She Doesn’t Plan to Be at Ford Field for the Lions vs. Rams Game
On August 21, Kelly said on her “The Morning After with Kelly Stafford & Frank” podcast that she doesn’t plan to be at Ford Field when her husband and the Rams take on the Lions on Sunday, September 8.
“Sunday Night Football first week is incredible,” Kelly said on the show. “It’ll be so fun. That atmosphere is going to be so crazy again. … Physically, I will not (be there), no. I am going to, after our amazing, amazing live show (in Detroit on Saturday), I am going to hop on a plane and head home so I can watch it with my daughters here.”
She added that while she has “good memories in that dome,” the most recent memory “wasn’t that great, but I got to see Detroit for a playoff game, which was really cool because we never got there — a home game. That was really, really cool for me to see, and I obviously know how passionate those fans are and miss those fans. I also just want to continue to have amazing memories of that place…”
Sunday’s game will mark the second time Matthew is back in Detroit after being traded to the Rams in 2021. When Kelly and Matthew were back at Ford Field during last season’s playoff game, Kelly and her family were booed.
