Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, each the highest-paid player in their respective sport, just so happened to grow up as childhood friends from the same Dallas area.
Kershaw, who makes over $35 million this season for the Dodgers, was Stafford’s center on the football field at Highland Park High School. Meanwhile Stafford, who recently signed the largest contract in NFL history, was Kershaw’s shortstop and catcher on the baseball diamond.
The two remain very close friends to this day and they each voiced mutual respect and adoration for one another on a segment that aired on ESPN before Stafford’s game last season at AT&T Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
It was a contest in which Kershaw attended and spent time speaking with Stafford on the sideline prior to pregame warmups. Stafford was again on Monday Night Football this week when the Lions faced the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Stafford paid tribute to his friend in the third quarter by yelling out ‘Kershaw’ as one of his audible calls, via Arash Markazi of ESPN:
Matthew Stafford audibling to his childhood friend Clayton Kershaw. pic.twitter.com/Rc8iv5fEG1
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 19, 2017
It doesn’t happen that often that two friends growing up in the same town wind up as professional athletes.
Kershaw has won three Cy Youngs and an MVP award in his 10 seasons with the Dodgers, while Stafford was a former No. 1 overall pick by the Lions and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2014.
