The Samalis is a family full of New England Patriots fans but come Sunday, they will be sporting Jaguars jerseys.
It all started with their dad, Tom Samalis, who moved to Jacksonville in 1997 from New England. He adopted the Jaguars with all of his gusto, but his four children stayed loyal to the Patriots.
His fandom for the Jaguars lasted until the day he died in December of 2017. The day after he watched the Jags beat the Texans, he and his wife Jane Samalis went on a road trip. He collapsed in the hall of their hotel. His heart gave out.
"He has the best seat in the house," said Pam Samalis, Tom Samalis' daughter, regarding Sunday's big matchup.
In light of the Jaguars advancing to the AFC Championship game, just one game away from the Super Bowl, his son, Tim Samalis wanted to pay a special honor to his dad.
He said their dad made football and family a fun time together and even though their father's death was sudden, they are filled with happy memories.
So, he contacted Fanatics and the Jaguars and created customized jerseys for the family.
A majority of the jerseys have the number 17 on it to remember the year he passed. Two shirts with the number 20 are because they ran of out ones, he said.
And on Sunday, the Samalis family is pledging to cheer for the Jags. They promised that if the Jaguars make it to the Super Bowl, they will cheer for them one more time before returning to their Patriot roots.