After facing boos in his return to Ford Field with the Rams, Matthew Stafford didn't seem too thrilled for Lions fans who had just watched their team win a playoff game for the first time in more than 30 years. Asked if he was happy for the city where he spent the first 12 seasons of his career, Stafford said, "I’m happy for the players."
Time heals all wounds, right? Nearly three months after the Lions ended the Rams' season in the wild card round, Stafford is striking a new tone.
Speaking Monday with his wife Kelly at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new SAY Detroit Play Center that the Staffords helped fund, the Lions' former quarterback had some fun when Kelly said, "Hopefully we can continue coming back and you guys can welcome us back with open arms -- I mean, I think the playoff loss helps, right?"
To which Stafford quipped, "We did our part."
"So there you go," said Kelly.
Stafford, 36, said that though he sold his family's house in Metro Detroit after he was traded three years ago to the Rams, "I guess we're at the house that I had here. This is what brings me back."
"But as impressive as the house is, what makes it a home are the people in it," Stafford said. "And there's no truer statement. The people sitting in here, the people that are here everyday, the kids that are here, that's what brings this place to life. It's an incredible place. We've had the opportunity to be involved with it for many years now, don't see that changing anytime soon.
"Again, thank you so much to everybody through all the years for all the help that you've given us and to the community and to the kids. This is a special home. What we can do for the kids around here and the people around here is an amazing thing and something that I'm really proud to be a part of."