Monica Blakely has always had an immense passion for the Washington Commanders.
When her dad immigrated to the Washington D.C. area from Iran, he fell in love with the hometown football team. Blakely was an only child, so she and her father bonded over watching the Commanders together.
Blakely’s connection grew into a special fandom, which turned into a dream of becoming a season-ticket holder. Additionally, Blakely wanted to make sure her father, who’s disabled, could be with her at the games.
Blakely’s passion for the team earned her a new honor, as she’s been named the Washington Commanders’ 2023 Fan of the Year.
“This means everything to me,” Blakely said. “Football is one of the key pillars for our family and we love supporting the Commanders.”
Every NFL team selects one fan to represent as the team’s Fan of the Year.
Blakely, a Gaithersburg native, owns a custom apparel business with her husband, Passion for Ezra, where she creates custom sporting apparel.
Blakely started creating apparel in her parent’s basement of her Montgomery County home.
She told MCM she’s forever grateful for the support from the local community, and nothing is possible without them.
The family has had season tickets for over 20 seasons, and Blakely creates a different outfit to wear at every home game.
The Blakely’s business gained national attention during the last Super Bowl when it created Donna Kelce’s custom jacket, which was split to show support for her two sons—Travis for the Kansas City Chiefs and Jason for the Philadelphia Eagles—playing against each other.
By now, you probably know Donna Kelce has 2 sons playing in the @SuperBowl. She needed a special jacket to mark the occasion so she called on Maryland-based Passion for Ezra, started by 2 MoCo natives Monica and Taylor Blakely. @mymcmedia pic.twitter.com/NII3Ypcu9P
— Joe Yasharoff (@JYash) February 10, 2023
Blakely has been running her business for over a decade, and the name derives from her dedication to making her daughter Ezra proud.
Football has become a significant part of her business, as she often creates football-related apparel. The jacket and shoes she created for Kelce made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Tonight, the Kelce brothers meet again on Monday Night Football, which has sparked even more attention for Passion for Ezra.
Blakely’s company teamed up with Hey Dude—a large shoe retailer—to create a new custom shoe for Donna. This morning, Donna and Hey Dude debuted the shoes on Instagram.
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When she isn’t working on apparel, Blakely attends Commanders games with her father, husband and daughter.
“We’ve supported this team through name changes and an ownership change,” Blakely said. “We love going to the games and we’re excited to continue supporting the Commanders.”
Those looking for custom apparel can inquire on the company’s website.
Photo courtesy NFL.com
