Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers creates quite the conflict of interest in the Jake Moody household.
The 49ers kicker, born in Commerce, Michigan, just northwest of Detroit, grew up a Lions fan and his parents are part of the long suffering fanbase craving their first Super Bowl championship. The only thing standing in their way of seeing their beloved Lions getting a chance at playing for the Lombardi Trophy? Moody and the 49ers.
Now, you can imagine how torn one would be in this situation. However, Moody’s parents, Lisa and Chad, not only will be cheering for their son, but be decked out in 49er red and gold while doing so.
“They will for sure be cheering us on,” Moody told Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. “For sure cheering me on, because who wouldn’t want to see their son in the Super Bowl and see their son’s team in the Super Bowl? I’m sure they will be cheering us on and hopefully, we get the win.”
Jake Moody’s parents standing by his side
Though it sure would have been storybook for Moody, who also attended Michigan, to become a Lion, the 49ers had different plans. They made him the No. 99 overall selection, becoming just the fifth kicker since 2000 taken in the first three rounds. Moody’s parents were initially happy, until Chad expertly predicted that the Lions and 49ers would meet in the NFC Championship game.
“It obviously came true,” Moody said. “I didn’t believe him, just historically looking at the Lions and having grown up a Lions fan, I didn’t think they would ever get this far. But it is pretty cool to play in the NFC Championship. It’s exactly where I would want to be. Obviously, I think I’m on the better side.”
While Moody’s parents may have a hard time convincing their friends to wear 49ers gear with them, Moody said a compromise of sorts has been agreed to.
“It’s not that hard until now that we are playing them in the NFC Championship,” Moody said. “But being a kicker, the way they get everyone to agree to something is — ‘Hopefully Jake makes all of his kicks. Can you at least do that?’ So, they usually get people to agree to that, but obviously, I don’t just want to just make all my kicks, I want to win the game as well.”
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