Reader Submission - 2002 Team Canada Jersey

Our 20th reader submission comes from Jacob Conell, and it has got to be the most unusual story we've heard about how someone acquired their jersey.

Here is Jacob's off-beat story about his jersey and and the unexpected way in which he was able to come to possess his jersey.

The Canada jersey was given to me by a homeless guy. 

We met because I was playing road hockey in my driveway and he asked if he could have some empty beer cans. Well he came back a few weeks later and got more cans, I told him he can come by whenever he wants. 

A month after I met him, we were fixing my bike or something, then he left for the night and found a perfectly clean team Canada jersey on the ground! So the next day he comes with it, I was really surprised that he found it. 

This guy never does anything to harm people. I think he gave me a Megadeath CD before. He is always trying to help everyone. Anyways, I only wore the jersey I think once after that to a Canada Day event, before I got it signed by Shea Weber. 

Weber used to play for our WHL team, the Kelowna Rockets, so he was in town meeting fans. A few of my friends completely forgot that he was in town, so when I showed them the jersey they were jealous. 

Unfortunately, my mom and I moved a town over, so I never got to talk to the homeless guy again. He was on Facebook a few times, but he doesn’t go on anymore. He referred to me as “His bottle buddy” Which is hilarious. All this was in I think... April 2011 then I got it signed in July 2011. I plan to get WEBER on the back real soon, as long as they don’t wash the jersey. 

I also have a Vancouver Canucks Willie Mitchell jersey, my mom bought a beer (surprise, surprise) and was entered in a contest for buying the beer and won it, brought it home, and it sure surprised me. I didn’t even wear it for the first time until 2 years ago. I wanna be buried in this jersey when I die because it’s better than some stinkin’ suit know what I’m sayin’?

There you have it, readers, the most unexpected reader submission story about how someone came to acquire their favorite jersey. And who knew a homeless guy would ever be on Facebook?

Thanks to Jacob for taking the time to photograph his jersey and share his most unusual story about the gift of his jersey. We really appreciate the efforts involved when our readers take the time and effort to share their jerseys. It's also great that he was then able to get the jersey signed by his favorite player. And then his mom wins one in a contest? Karma is really on Jacob's side when it comes to jerseys! Oh yea. He wants to be buried in the jersey as well! Jacob is clearly our kind of people.

If you think you can top that for an unusual story or simply have a jersey in your collection that you'd like to share with us and your fellow readers, please submit your pictures and a story to go with it, no matter how brief or detailed, to spyboy1@gmail.com and we look forward to seeing your favorites!