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Kelly Stafford on love from Detroit Lions fans: 'We hear it and we feel it'

Detroit Lions fans have been pouring their love and support on Matthew and Kelly Stafford — and they're feeling it.

As the team's former quarterback clinched a spot in Super Bowl 56, one year after the blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Rams, Michiganders flooded social media with excited posts over his success and 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Many of the posts were directed at Kelly, who shared what it has been like to get support from the Detroit fan base on the latest episode of her podcast "The Morning After with Kelly Stafford."

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly Stafford react after defeating the 49ers in the NFC title game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly Stafford react after defeating the 49ers in the NFC title game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022.

"I love y'all," Kelly said. "You can't put into words what y'all have meant to us in the 12 years that we spent there, but even now the support that we're getting from you guys, you guys will always be our family, that will always be our home. As I've said before, we had all of our kids there, we grew up there, we became a family there. That place has a massive part of our hearts, Matthew included.

"It truly means the world to both of us. I got tagged in so many things of Michigan people, you know, in their Stafford Michigan jerseys saying we're rooting you on and stuff like that, so we hear it and we feel it. We really do, so thank you guys."

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Kelly said she and Matthew plan to return to Detroit soon to visit friends, hit their favorite spots and break ground on one of their charitable projects in Detroit.

Before the Staffords departed for Los Angeles, they pledged $1 million to help build a new education center with S.A.Y. Detroit (a Michigan nonprofit). The education center will be on the grounds of S.A.Y. Detroit's Play Center.

In 2015, the Staffords also pledged $1 million through Matthew's Score 7 Charitable Fund to help build an indoor football field and reclaim the shuttered Lipke Recreation Center in the Osborn School area in Detroit with the nonprofit.

You can listen to the latest episode of Kelly Stafford's podcast below.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kelly Stafford on Detroit Lions' fans support for Matthew Stafford