DETROIT (WXYZ) — On the first day of the NFL Draft in Detroit, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown paid his respects to people serving our country.
St. Brown teamed up with USAA to host an event for members of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
During the event, St. Brown talked about his journey to the NFL and his $120 million contract with the Lions.
“I’m actually going to sign it in a few hours, going to put pen to paper. It’ll be exciting,” St. Brown said.
After he spoke, St. Brown met with some of the service members.
“Seeing him on TV and then being able to meet him in person… really thankful for USAA and everything for being able to put this on for us,” said Joe Fitzgerald, a member of Air National Guard.
Fitzgerald just returned back home to Michigan after being deployed in the Middle East.
He says having the draft in Detroit and being able to meet St. Brown were great welcome home presents.
“Really exciting feeling to have this event in Detroit, being a Lions fan, it’s been a while since we’ve had something to cheer for so the Lions… it’s a really awesome experience,” Fitzgerald said.
I also spoke with Jacob Bennette, a recruiter with the Air National Guard.
He got a chance to meet St. Brown on Thursday and he will also be a part of the draft.
“I get to fill out the number one draft card, so that’s a surreal experience for sure,” Bennette said.
“Any message to the service men and women here?” I asked St. Brown.
“Thank you for their time and their service. I feel like sometimes, some people may under-appreciate what they do for us, for our country but for me, it’s like they put their lives on the line and I feel there’s nothing greater than that,” St. Brown said.
