83-year-old Lions fan in hospice goes viral for dyeing hair blue

83-year-old man in hospice dyes his hair blue for Detroit Lions

Benjamin is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis, but that isn't stopping him flaunting his Lions spirit.

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Michiganders are showing their love for the Detroit Lions in many ways – but one 83-year-old man took it to another level and dyed his hair bright blue while in hospice care.

"Man it took off like wildfire, much more than I ever thought," said Larry Benjamin of Saginaw, whose Lions-themed hair received a lot of attention online.

Benjamin is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis, but that isn't stopping him flaunting his Lions spirit.

The inspiration struck Benjamin when he saw the Lions' wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, flaunting blue-dyed hair. Benjami and his son shared a photo of his vibrant blue hair on social media, which was loved by many.

"I was surprised at everything that happened," Benjamin said. "I was just hoping a few people would say ‘OK I’ll dye my hair blue too.’"

On Thursday, a reporter asked St. Brown about it.

"It’s just awesome to see that. It’s humbling as a player to know that you can touch other people’s lives just by playing a sport and being who I am," St. Brown said. "I’m actually going to try and reach out to him tomorrow if I can… But it’s definitely a cool thing to see."

The following day, on Friday, Benjamin received a video call from St. Brown.

"It was very good, I was really impressed with him – he’s a fine looking young man," Benjamin said.

But that's not all.

"I got a call from Chris Speilman last week too. He was a middle linebacker during Barry’s time there," the 83-year-old said. "He wanted to thank me for my blue hair."

For Sunday's Lions-Bucs playoff game, Benjamin is having a party.

"I got neighbors, relatives – were going to have a big ol' nacho party," he said. "It’s going to be super."