DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Lions honored one of its most devout fans at the first home game since the death of Donnie “Yooperman” Stefanski.
For more than 25 years, Stefanski would drive more than 300 miles from the Upper Peninsula to tailgate and attend Lions games, first at the Silverdome and then at Ford Field. He’s in the NFL Fan Hall of Fame.
Stefanski died on Sept. 3 at age 61. The Lions played a video tribute Sunday.
At Eastern Market, Stefanski’s daughter, Megan, displayed her father’s Lions jersey with the name “Yooperman” on the back. Tailgaters observed a moment of silence and drank shots of whiskey.
Another Lions fans, Mark Mullins, tells the Detroit Free Press that no words can sum up the “shock” of Stefanski’s absence. He says Megan must carry on the tradition.
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