WINNIPEG - Jose Maltos Diaz combined football and family in a special way this season.

When he learned in July that his mother, Maria, was having surgery in Mexico, the Montreal Alouettes kicker looked for a way to honour her — and added her family name, Diaz, to the back of his jersey.

“There was Maltos, my dad’s last name,” the 34-year-old said this week as he prepared for Sunday’s Grey Cup game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“I need to honour my mom’s last name, so it’s just for her.”

When he was on one of his regular video calls with her, he had the new jersey on and turned around.

“I show her my jersey with Diaz, and she was just crying and happy with me,” he said.

Maltos Diaz, who has four older brothers, said his mom’s surgery wasn’t serious and she’s doing fine.

The n

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