Powdery snowflakes began to pour down on Lamont Jones at Soldier Field Saturday night as he experienced one of the most rewarding moments of his career.
The longtime Rockford Park District general manager, who has dedicated much of the last 20 years to providing access to flag football for both boys and girls, stood along the Bears sideline before Saturday's wild card game against the Packers, where he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Jones was not only attending the game to cheer on his hometown team, but also to watch two 14U boys flag football teams and two middle school girls flag football teams, all from the Rockford area, that would be competing during halftime later that evening.
While Jones thought his longtime friend, Bears director of football development Gustavo Silva, was simply connecting him with Goodell, he and the Commissioner had an alternative plan. After speaking with Jones about the power of the work he's done for years, Goodell surprised him with two tickets to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif.
"We always want to honor our fans, but Lamont is much more than a fan," Goodell said. "He's making a difference in our communities, and what he's doing in flag football by giving kids that opportunity to play and giving them a future is incredible. We're proud to honor him."
Receiving that pair of tickets came as a complete shock to Jones, whose only focus that evening was ensuring the flag football players enjoyed their moment on the field.
"I can't even fathom it," Jones said, "and I don't even know if I'm gonna call my wife until I get back on the bus, but, I was already planning for the Super Bowl, 'Are we gonna have some friends over? Let's watch the game on TV,' and things like that. But now we're actually gonna be going to the Super Bowl. And the only thing that can make this even more special is if my favorite team can go along with me."
Having worked with NFL Flag since 2003, Jones and the Bears have been connected for decades. The team recently donated turf from the Walter Payton Center as part of the $7.6 million construction upgrade of Rockford's Clarence Hicks Sports Complex.
"Lamont has been empowering kids through flag football for over two decades," Silva said. "He has been a tremendous partner to the Bears helping us start high school girls flag football in the Rockford area in 2022 and launch a middle school girls flag football league in 2025. I can't think of a more deserving recipient. We are so grateful to Commissioner Goodell for recognizing Lamont."
While the Bears first launched the high school girls flag football program in 2022 with Chicago Public Schools, Rockford was the second league created, thanks to Jones' support. His work in spreading the sport across northern Illinois helped girls flag football become sanctioned by the Illinois High School Association in 2024.
For leaders like Goodell, watching flag football grow across Illinois and the world, especially ahead of the sport's debut in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, is always rewarding, especially given the league's dedication to providing access to football at all levels.
"It's fantastic," Goodell said. "I think for young boys and girls to be able to play our game and participate in an Olympic sport, I just think it's a great opportunity for all of them. It's awesome to see."
The four Rockford area flag teams had their own moment to shine at halftime, showcasing their skills and passion for football in front of the 60,000-plus fans at Soldier Field.
Between seeing those kids soak up the moment of playing on the same field as the Bears at a playoff game, receiving such a special honor from the NFL Commissioner and of course, watching his favorite team mount the biggest postseason comeback in franchise history, Saturday night felt like a dream to Jones.
"I've been involved and had a relationship with Chicago Bears for over 24 years now, and I never wanted anything back in return other than support for my kids," Jones said. "And as you can see, we have 45 of them here today.
"It's creating a memory for them that keeps me going. So what I've done over these last 24 years would not be possible without the relationships that I've had with the Chicago Bears, and it's just been a ride that I'm not ready to get off of yet."
