© 2026 ABC News

Stafford and his wife, Kelly, appeared at the boys' house on Dec. 16. Talon said that while some of his relatives knew of the planned visit, he and his brother Skyler, also seen in the video, had no clue that Stafford was coming to their home.

\"PHOTO:
Shannon Webb
PHOTO: On Dec. 16, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly came to the Michigan home of Heather and her three boys to bring Christmas gifts and a little bit of holiday cheer.
>

\"Oh my God,\" Talon and Skyler said as they both took turns greeting Kelly Stafford and then shaking Matthew Stafford's hand in the video. Talon drops to the floor in shock.

\"What's up, guys?\" Matthew Stafford said.

\"We have a little Christmas for you, guys. ... Can we come hang out with you guys for a little bit?\" Kelly Stafford asked. \"Merry Christmas, guys.\"

Kelly Stafford then greetied the boys' mother and other family members in the house.

\"People are so, so, good,\" Deana Harb said in her Facebook video post of the moment. \"And I know my cousin is beaming from Heaven.\"

\"PHOTO:
Shannon Webb
PHOTO: Brothers Talon, Tyson and Skyler pose with their father, Conor, Conor died suddenly at the age of 40 in September, leaving his wife, Heather, and their three sons.
>

\"I was really surprised,\" Talon said Thursday about the visit. \"Hardly anyone ever gets to say in their lifetime that Matthew Stafford came to their door.\"

According to a GoFundMe shared by Harb, the boys' father, Conor, died unexpectedly in September at the age of 40, leaving behind his wife, Heather, and three sons: Talon, Skyler and Tyson.

Talon told ABC News on Thursday that his father, who also coached the boys, was kind, uplifting and reliable.

\"He always made time for family and he always put family above everything else,\" he said.

\"PHOTO:
Shannon Webb
PHOTO: Brothers Tyson, Talon and Skyler, play video games with NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford. Talon told ABC News he'd never forget losing to Stafford in "Madden."
>

Talon also shared that his father was \"probably the No. 1 Lions fan -- like everything was Lions\" and that the two were even superstitious while watching the team play. He said that while watching the Detroit Lions play football, he and his family would be \"like, 'Everyone look away from the screen because we might be bad luck' or stuff like that.\"

As for the visit from Matthew Stafford, Talon said: \"It is definitely something I will never, ever forget. It was just outstanding.\"

He said another thing that he and his brother would not quickly forgot was how badly the Detroits Lions player had beat them at the football video game \"Madden.\"

\"Let's just say, it was 55-18,\" Talon said.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Sports/boys-lost-father-surprise-christmas-visit-detroit-lions/story?id=67936478","legacySlug":"/living/story/boys-lost-father-surprise-christmas-visit-detroit-lions-67936478","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"00:11","publishDate":"12-27-2019","updatedTime":"11:43","updatedDate":"12-27-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Brothers Tyson, Talon and Skyler, play video games with NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford. Talon told ABC News he'd never forget losing to Stafford in \"Madden.\"","credit":"Shannon Webb","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/brothers-meet-stafford-03-ht-jef-191226_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/27/2019 00:11:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":67936478,"headline":"Boys who lost their father visited by NFL player","mediaAssetTitle":"MATTHEW STAFFORD MEETS BOYS FOR XMAS","description":"Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly brought gifts and stayed for a game of \"Madden.\"","duration":"1:58","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191226_wn_ender1_657_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Boys who lost their father visited by NFL player","description":"Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly brought gifts and stayed for a game of \"Madden.\"","duration":"1:58","uploadDate":"12-27-2019","publication":"12-27-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191226_wn_ender1_657_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191226_wn_ender1_657_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/boys-lost-father-surprise-christmas-visit-detroit-lions-67936478"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Boys who lost their father visited by NFL player","pubTime":"19:11","pubDate":"12-26-2019","modTime":"06:43","modDate":"12-27-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":67936478,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Boys who lost their father visited by NFL player","mediaAssetTitle":"MATTHEW STAFFORD MEETS BOYS FOR XMAS","videoId":67936478,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/living/story/boys-lost-father-surprise-christmas-visit-detroit-lions-67936478"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/67936478","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/67936478","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};