Aaron Jones, who plays running back for the Green Bay Packers, was given a jersey modification ahead of the game against the San Francisco 49ers last week. The 26-year-old carried a pendant containing his father’s ashes in a special pocket built into his jersey.

Red Batty, the equipment manager of the Green Bay Packers, created a small pocket in the jersey that assisted him to carry the black pendant. The team’s management said on Twitter that the pocket was built with a perfect measure to securely hold the pendant.

During a press conference on Friday last week, Aaron Jones said, “I can just drop it in there and I don’t have to worry about it falling out, so I can play with it”, according to reports from CNN. The Green Bay Packers player went ahead to confirm that he played the September 26 game against the 49ers while carrying the pendant.

The running back’s father Alvin Jones Sr. died earlier this year in April after suffering COVID-19 complications, according to Andra Litton, a KTSM official.

The black pendant was briefly lost by Packers’ Jones while playing against Detroit Lions on September 20. After being lost in the end zone, the pendant was then found by Bryan “Flea” Engel, the trainer for the Green Bay Packers.

Jones, who seemed to be very close to his father, said that he intends to keep him near him “at all times”, however, for now just wears the pendant while he is going on the field. He said in a statement, “It is something I will continue to do. Just keep my dad with me everywhere I go”, according to reports from CNN.

“It just shows how special our staff is, and our support staff here with the Packers in Green Bay from the training staff to our equipment staff to [the] coaching staff to [the] GM”, Jones said in a statement, according to reports from CNN.