Pride Of Detroit’s Fan Spotlight: John Marshall Jones

Detroit Lions fans are a special breed. It takes a special kind of commitment to go through the ups and downs of a Lions season and then continue to go through it all again year after year. It’s because of that commitment that it’s safe to say the Lions have the best and most loyal fans in the world. For the next month, we’re going to celebrate some of them here at Pride of Detroit.

I was admittedly excited about this one. We’ve learned in the past few weeks that Lions fans come from all walks of life. Whether they live abroad, here in Michigan or in this week’s case, Hollywood.

Today’s spotlight is on actor John Marshall Jones. You may have seen John in a litany of projects like “Con Air,” “Shooter on USA,” “Bosch,” “In The Cut” or “Grace and Frankie.” Or you may recognize him from his amazing 90s TV filmography that includes “Martin,” “A Different World,” “Melrose Place,” “Home Improvement,” “ER” and “Coach.” For me, though, it’s his work in one of my favorite movies of all time, “White Men Can’t Jump,” that got me excited.

When we found out that John is a giant Detroit Lions fan, we had to include him in this series. He was more than willing to tell a little bit of his story and answer some of our nerdy questions. Here’s what he had to say.

How did you become a Lions fan?

“I was born in Detroit back when it was truly a factory town. Growing up I wanted to be Charlie Sanders. He epitomized hard work and talent. If he would’ve had someone like Matt Stafford throwing to him, we would’ve had a whole different team. Loved that guy.”

Who is your favorite Lion ever?

“My favorite Lions player of all time is Barry Sanders, of course. I still go back and watch his 50 greatest runs on YouTube. Even today, he’s still the sickest running back I’ve ever seen.”

What is your favorite Lions moment ever?

“Probably watching Jahvid Best throw his finger up while sprinting 70 yards to the end zone with no defender even close. Either that or watching Suh try to break Jay Cutler in half over his knee while trouncing da bears. He was a maniac but he was OUR maniac! Yeah, that was a good day.”

What are your thoughts and predictions for the 2019 season?

“I predict a major turn around this season. Bob Quinn has done a great job of filling all the holes (and there were many) on both sides of the ball. Darrell Bevell is a successful, seasoned offensive coordinator who understands how professionals call plays. The offense has added solid playmakers at skill positions. The defense, which was stout, added pass rush and pass coverage to a top 10 run defense. The only question now is if the offensive line will gel and how long that will take (why didn’t he draft a plug and play OG in the 3rd RD?!!!). Moving Ragnow to his natural position should help. Remember we beat, NE and CAR in Patricia’s first year. I predict 10-6 with our first playoff win.”

If a movie was made about the Lions, who would you play?

“I’d play Martin Mayhew so I could undo all the damage.”

What other Lions fans have you ran into in the film and tv industries? Are their any that we would be shocked by?

“One of Hollywood’s most successful entertainment lawyers is a HUGE Lions fan. The guy’s texts me at 6am from the Cannes Film Festival with links to Pride Of Detroit during the offseason to debate alternate draft scenarios. And he wants an answer! At 6am! We also have a crew of Detroit transplants that meet at my house every Sunday during the season. We do Lions football year round out here!”

If you’d like to follow John on Twitter and chat Lions with him, follow him @biggiefryz. If you want to see John at work, he’ll be on seasons of “Big Little Lies” on HBO, “Grand Hotel” on ABC and “Heaven of Hell” on The Paramount Network.