By Greg Bates
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – Cassandra Searcy and her husband decided for their 30th anniversary, they would travel to Green Bay for the NFC divisional-round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks Jan. 12.
The couple from Tampa, Florida, wanted to fit in a tour of Lambeau Field Saturday afternoon prior to the game on Sunday.
When the tour guide started telling the fans what to expect on their one-hour journey around the most historic stadium in the NFL, Searcy was shocked to hear former Packers wide receiver James Jones would be joining midway to answer questions and give his inside insight.
“He was awesome,” Searcy said. “I loved the story he told about the difference between playing for [former quarterback Brett] Favre and playing for [current quarterback Aaron] Rodgers. That was cool.”
Jones was one of four alumni Packers – including LeRoy Butler, Al Harris and Antonio Freeman – who joined the tours.
Through the Packers Hall of Fame, alumni have been helping with stadium tours since Ahman Green first took part in December 2016.
“More teams should do it,” said Butler, who played safety for the Packers all 12 years of his career. “For the fan base, there’s nothing better than knowing what we go through at certain parts of the stadium. Like when going out the tunnel – lots of fans wouldn’t know what the experience is like. And to get to know us other than what you read on Wikipedia or saw on the internet – that’s why I do it. It’s special to know you have a connection because we don’t have an owner, so you meet new owners every day.”
A self-proclaimed people person, Butler said he loves being a part of the tours.
Jones said the same thing.
“It was awesome,” Jones said. “To come back – I haven’t been back in a minute to sign and do all this stuff. What I love most is you get to share some stories with fans they may not have heard and not get to see with interviews.”
Jones – who was on two tours on Saturday – said he doesn’t like to tell predetermined stories – he prefers to hold a question-and-answer type format and let the fans fire away.
“I always let them ask as many questions as they want to ask,” Jones said. “I know that’s something people want to know and you want to go back to your family and be able to say, ‘Man, I went on a tour with James and he shared this story about Brett or about Aaron or about him coming out the tunnel.’ That’s what it’s all about, and that’s how you bring them closer to the game.”
The most common question Jones gets when he’s on a tour?
“What did it feel like winning the Super Bowl?” Jones said. “I tell people, ‘It’s surreal. It’s something nobody can ever take away from you. The adrenaline that pumps in you for that game is way different than any other game.’ I wish everybody could experience it, but they can’t.”
Butler, who is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, sometimes fields questions from the fans or he shares stories that pop into his mind.
“Telling them about one of your best games and stuff like that,” Butler said. “I talk about the [Lambeau] Leap and how it was started. It’s the connection we have with our fans. I love that the Hall of Fame makes an available platform from us because I’m going to be on 200 peoples’ Facebook pages today – that’s amazing branding.”
San Antonio native TJ Sibrian and his girlfriend were also part of a tour Jones tagged along on.
The longtime Packers fan enjoyed hearing from Jones, a fan favorite during his eight seasons playing with the Green and Gold.
“It was a different perspective,” Sibrian said. “Hearing about Brett and Aaron and then the Super Bowl, that was big. We’re from Texas, so any time we can play in Dallas and beat them, that’s great.”
Having a former player on the tour enhanced the experience by 100 times, said Sibrian, who along with all the fans on the tour, received an autographed card from Jones that reads, “I toured with an alumni.”
“It was like talking to an old friend,” Searcy said. “It wasn’t like talking to a superstar; you were talking to someone you knew forever because he was so nice.”
Jones and Butler said one of their favorite parts of the tour is when the groups stop in the hallway leading into the tunnel to go onto the field.
“I told them, ‘That’s where it all goes down,’” Jones said. “‘That’s where you get psyched up, pumped up for the game. That’s when it becomes real when you walk outside that tunnel, there’s no turning back now. It’s time to go.’ I shared a couple of stories down there – how they introduce us; the cold games when you’re running out the tunnel and you feel the wind coming through, and you’re like, ‘Oh, Lord, have mercy.’”
Said Butler: “When we get down there, I turn the fans into players. ‘You’ve got to get your mind right.’ You’ll see people holding a big flag coming through, you’ve got a television camera. There’s lots going, but you’ve got to be focused. When you hear the roar of the crowd, then you say to yourself, ‘I’m doing something most kids and most adults wish they could do.’”
Jones, who is an analyst on NFL Network, has been outspoken all year about the Packers.
After receiving inside intel from Rodgers during training camp, Jones said he knew the team with a surprisingly good defense was the real deal.
Prior to the season, Jones predicted the Packers would finish 13-3, which they did.
Prior to the playoffs, he predicted the Packers would win the Super Bowl.
His prediction for Sunday’s game? 24-17, Packers.
“I think going into the fourth quarter at 17-17, the defense holds on and gets some stops and Aaron scores and they finish it off,” Jones said.