Jason Kerr is an avid Bears fan who normally watches his favorite team's games at home in Tandragee, Northern Ireland, with his wife, Jackie.
Kerr didn't need to flip on his television to see last Sunday's Bears-Cowboys contest, however. He instead made his first trip to Chicago, where he and Jackie sat in the Soldier Field stands and watched the Bears record an exciting 31-14 victory.
"This is amazing," Kerr told ChicagoBears.com. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've been to the three London games, but nothing matches this."
Kerr became a Bears fan in 1986 when they played the Cowboys in an American Bowl preseason game in London, seven months after winning Super Bowl XX. His favorite all-time player remains Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.
When the Bears faced the Raiders in London in 2019, Kerr met fellow fan Cassen LaBounty, a Colorado resident, at the team's official bar, The Borrowboy & Banker. The two reconnected last year in London when the Bears battled the Jaguars.
LaBounty wrote to the Bears to inform them that Kerr would be attending his first game at Soldier Field and inquired whether the team could recognize his dedication.
"Through the highs and lows, across an ocean and without ever having set foot in Chicago, he has lived and breathed Bears football," LaBounty wrote. "After four decades of loyalty from afar, this visit will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a guy who stays up late into the night or well into the morning to watch Bears games overseas."
LaBounty and his wife, Sara, flew to Chicago to attend the contest with Kerr and his wife. Kerr, who wore a Payton No. 34 t-shirt jersey, loved the game day experience.
"I did have expectations, but nothing gets you set up for this here, and the tailgating as well before is unique," he said. "It doesn't really happen in London."
The Bears rolled out the red carpet for Kerr, who met team chairman George H. McCaskey, posed for a photo with Staley and was surprised with on-field passes to watch pregame warmups.
"It was amazing," LaBounty said. "The Chicago Bears outdid themselves and I really respect them for it."
