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When football commentator and former Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson came on the show to compete in our 12th Annual Super Bowl Recipe Playoff, he reminisced about his time with the Lions — and told the story of one interaction with a fan that was particularly memorable.
"Detroit was special to me because at the time, we weren't really a good team," Nate says. "The city was actually bankrupt when I was there. There were some hard times."
"Some of my favorite memories were going out to eat with my teammates, talking with fans that showed us support even though we didn't deserve it," he continues. "We weren't winning games and quite frankly these fans weren't making the most money."
Nate remembers one night when he was at dinner with some friends. A man came up to say that he appreciated the effort Nate and his teammates put in during games.
"I spend every last dime to go to these games," Nate recalls the fan telling him. "Your team is different from teams in the past. Thank you."
Thinking the gentleman was the chef, Nate asked a waitress for his name. It turns out that he wasn't the chef at all, but a custodial worker who swept the kitchen.
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Nate realized that this fan spent a lot of money going to see the Lions play — and that he probably wasn't making very much. So, the athlete took his hat off and he and his friends put some money in it to send down to the fan. They didn't make a big show of it and they didn't ask for recognition for the gesture.
"I think the money that he received… it wasn't as impactful as the words that we received," Nate says.
How sweet. ❤️
Watch the full web exclusive video above!