‘It’s in the end zone’: NFL star Jones loses medallion with FATHER’S ASHES in it during sensational four-touchdown performance

During a career night where he scored four touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers, NFL running back Aaron Jones lost a necklace that contained the ashes of his father Alvin Jones Sr. in a medallion shaped like a football.

Hammered 38-3 on the road by the New Orleans Saints in Week One, the Pack had to respond and make a statement in front of their home fans at Lambeau Field on Monday night.

That they did, through a 35-17 rout of their divisional, Midwest rivals the Detroit Lions, with Jones outstanding by crossing the line into the endzone on four occasions.  

The performance was bittersweet for the 26-year-old, however.

There is no doubt he would have made Alvin Sr. – who passed away from covid complications aged 57 in April – proud, and also went some way to justifying a four-year, $48 million contract he penned in March.

But he also lost the medallion – possibly when making a second quarter TD catch which was the second of three receiving scores complemented by a rushing effort – and was not able to find it post-win either.

"If there was any place to lose it, that's where my dad would've wanted me to lose it," Jones explained later.

"So I know he's smiling."

There to witness their relative become the first player to score four touchdowns on Monday Night Football since the year 2000 were 15 family members, though sadly Alvin Sr. was not one of them.

"I'm used to turning around and seeing my dad in the stands and just smiling to know everything is OK," lamented Jones.

"So when I was seeing them, I was good."

Probed on what he would have told his father after such a stellar showing, Jones confirmed: "[I would] just go home and tell him: 'I did it, Dad'."

Also asked which was the favorite of his quartet at the Lions' expense, he laughed and said: "All of them." 

"Well, actually, it's probably the first one. I kind of saluted my dad – tapped my chest and pointed up to him, so probably that one."

Silencing critics with a faultless night that took in 22 out of 27 pass completions, 255 yards and four touchdowns of his own, quarterback Aaron Rodgers remarked that his teammate was a "great human being" and had "been through a lot".

"He adds a lot to our team as a player. He's just an exceptional player," Rodgers went on.

"I was teasing him at training camp when he missed a few days in a row, [but it's] just different when you see the film and No. 33 is back there.

"He's just a different type of back, a special player, but the person is really a great person," Rodgers finished.

Later on Tuesday morning, Jones confirmed on The Steve Czaban Show that he had managed to recover the locket after a team trainer found it.

"[He] found it, so we're perfect," Jones commented.

"Thank you to him. He was out there until 1:45 [a.m.]. It shows how much they care about us," Jones concluded.