DETROIT -- Whenever running back Jamaal Williams entered Ford Field here as a member of the Green Bay Packers, he knew what was coming.
After every Lions touchdown, the stadium’s massive video boards would cut to a man in a No. 00 Lions jersey and team-fitted cap belting out the team’s fight song, “Gridiron Heroes.”
“I was like, ‘Aw snap. Here comes that song,’” Williams, who now plays for the Lions, recalled with a laugh. “I’m like, who is this man singing? Because that boy be singing his heart out every time. He getting that thing, but it’s cool. I like it. I like it a lot.”
The singer’s name is Theo “Gridiron” Spight -- a Detroit native whose enthusiastic baritone rendition of the song has been a staple at Lions' home games since 2004.
The song goes:
Forward down the field,
A charging team that will not yield.
And when the Blue and Silver wave,
Stand and cheer the brave.
Rah, Rah, Rah.
Go hard, win the game.
With honor you will keep your fame.
Down the field and gain,
A Lions victory!
After every TD, Ford Field's massive video boards cut to a man in a No. 00 #Lions jersey and team-fitted cap belting out the team's fight song. The singer's name is Theo "Gridiron" Spight (@GridironGoLions) - a Detroit native who has been a staple at home games since 04. pic.twitter.com/vU6OFQrOyp
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) December 31, 2021
Written for the team in the late 1930s by then Lions director of entertainment, Graham T. Overgard, “Gridiron Heroes” has been a constant at home games. But Spight has added his own flair to one of the NFL’s oldest tunes.
Surrounded by a group of fans in his reserved section near Gate G, Spight ends each song by stretching out his right arm and shouting "Gooooooooooo Lionsssssss!”
Choreographed touchdown celebrations aren’t just a Detroit thing. They can be found at venues all around the NFL.
The Vikings play “Let’s Go Crazy” by Minnesota native Prince.
In New England, the Patriots have a group called the End Zone Militia who fires off muskets.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fire cannons out of the pirate ship stationed at one end zone before playing “A Pirate’s Life for Me.”
In Cincinnati, the Bengals play their fight song, "Bengals Growl."
There are similar customs throughout the league.
What makes the Lions’ tradition unique is the personal touch Spight brings.
“He was always a nice dude to us. As you’re removed from it, I think you appreciate the professionalism of him,” former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky said. “I wish we had him sing the song more or given him an opportunity to do it more. It’s one of those things that’s special to Detroit, and I hope he’s able to do it a lot more in the future.”
A native of Detroit’s west side, Spight began his singing career at Unity Baptist Church. Later, he formed his own band, Theo Gridiron and Friends, which plays all around the Metro Detroit area.
Still, there’s no gig more important to him than the one at Ford Field.
Spight and his wife, Robin, will celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary next summer. Throughout their marriage, Robin says her husband has been “dedicated to being there for the fans.” That commitment means planning their lives around the team's schedule -- something Robin has learned to accept given the joy Spight derives from being the face of Lions game days.
“I’ve missed two games in 17 years,” Spight said. “One was my wedding day. With the way this thing works, we have to schedule all our vacations around [the Lions] schedule. So my wife was like, ‘I don’t care what game is going on, I’m not planning my wedding around the doggone Lions.’
“So, that’s all I’ve missed,” he said. “I missed one game for my wedding, and I’m in a band, so one of the Ilitch [family] kids was getting married so they wanted my band to play in the kid’s wedding.”
Although the “Gridiron Heroes” song is a fan favorite, many of the Lions players are so locked in during games that they aren’t even conscious of the team anthem.
Wide receiver Kalif Raymond admits that he “can’t hear nothing” when he’s out on the field.
“Not really,” was also rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s response when asked if he knew about the song.
But, Spight knows his audience.
It’s for all the fans that have endured countless losing seasons. He hopes they leave Ford Field with some sense of satisfaction, even in a loss.
“I like the fact that the people get to see a Black man being a professional, showing up and showing out every single time,” Spight said. “I went through 0-16. I’ve gone through some bad losses. So, you get mad just like everybody else, but when it’s time for me to do my thing, I always give it to them and I always try to ask everybody to sing along with me and get on their feet because I like that. I hope that people come to Ford Field and people hope that they’re gonna hear that song a bunch.”