DETROIT — On one of the coldest days of Detroit’s holiday season so far -- sub-20 degree weather -- fans were already lining up outside Ford Field for Thursday Night Football. Among them was an international couple who were also diehard Detroit Lions fans.

Donning a custom Union Jack flag with the Lions logo centered, Jordan Byrom and his wife, Laura, made the trip from Leeds, England, specifically for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The 33-year-old Englishman, who has been a Lions fan for close to 17 years, shared the unique story behind his loyalty to the franchise.

“My great-grandfather, Charles Draper, lived in Detroit in the 1920s,” Byrom told MLive. “He got a job over here painting cars. So when I got into the NFL, it was the most logical choice to become a Lions fan.

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