How I Watch With Gamer and Twitch Streamer Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins

Not many NFL fans can say that they have been deemed an “honorary captain” for their favorite team before or have an entire Monday Night Football game branded to be your night—but then again, not many people can say that they are a playable character in Fortnite, either. Tyler Blevins, known as “Ninja,” has done all of the above. The gamer needs little introduction past his nickname, given his approximately 37.9 million followers combined across Instagram, Twitter and Twitch.

Blevins gained the bulk of his following by playing and streaming Fortnite, though he began playing video games competitively through Halo 3 in 2009. Less than 10 years later, the Lions superfan was walking onto Ford Field after partnering with the Detroit team to help host a special “Ninja Night” for Monday Night Football. The following season he was invited back for the coin toss, as well. 

Sports Illustrated: Walk me through your journey to becoming a Lions fan. Have you always been one? Who introduced you to the team?

Tyler Blevins: My journey to becoming a Lions fan started with my family living in Detroit and me being born in Michigan. Eventually, my oldest brother, Jon, was old enough to take a personal interest in football, so naturally he became a Lions fan because of my dad. And then Jon was the one who got me interested in football and made me into a die-hard Lions fan, as well. Although, my dad now is a Bears fan, because we moved to Chicago when us boys were still young, and he switched.

SI: You wake up the morning of a Lions game: What’s the first thing you’re doing to get yourself pumped?

TB: On game day I immediately put on a Lions jersey and scroll through the Lions’ social media. I've been loving the content they've been putting out—it’s been making me fall in love with the organization and the players all over again.

SI: Do you have any interesting rituals or superstitions you go through before watching on game day?

TB: I currently don’t have any superstitions; however, I am incredibly aware and cautious of everything I do leading up to the game, because if we win, I want to make sure I remember what I did so we can win the next week. ... Unfortunately, we’ve lost the last few games, so I'm not doing something right.

SI: What are you usually wearing to watch? Is it a piece of team gear or something else?

TB: I’m usually wearing Lions sweatpants paired with a Lions hoodie, and a Lions jersey over the hoodie.

SI: What’s your favorite piece of Lions merchandise, memorabilia, etc., that you have?

TB: I have an awesome Barry Sanders–signed football helmet.

SI: What’s your go-to snack to grab when you’re sitting down to watch a game? What about your go-to drink?

TB: Go-to drink is a Bud Light. ... Game day just doesn’t feel the same drinking a different beer. My go-to snack is always wings with blue cheese dressing.

SI: Are you watching at home, or do you head to a bar to watch with other fans?

TB: If I’m at our Florida home, I normally go to a local bar with all my friends where all the games are on-super loud, there’s great food and drinks, immaculate vibes. If I'm in Illinois, I usually host football Sunday at my house and my whole family comes over. 

SI:  Are you always watching with the same fans, like with certain friends or family?

TB: In Illinois, I’m watching with my brothers, who are also huge Lions fans. In Florida, I'm watching with my buddies TimTheTatman and Cloakzy, who are both Cowboys fans.

SI: What’s your favorite memory of watching the Lions play?

TB: Matthew Stafford’s comeback against the Browns, when he was miked up and came back to play injured and threw the game-winning touchdown.

SI: What has been the coolest experience you’ve had as a fan? 

TB: Being on Ford Field with my family. A few years ago the Lions had “Ninja Night,” where I flew my family and friends out. The Lions brought us all down on the field. I got to take a ton of pictures with fans, got to actually meet a lot of the guys I’ve been cheering on for years and Barry Sanders, who was super kind.

SI: What’s the craziest thing you would do to guarantee your team wins the Super Bowl?

TB: ... Let’s just say the list of what I wouldn’t do is much shorter than the list of what I would do.

SI: Did you watch this season of Hard Knocks? What do you think it did for the team itself, and was it fun to watch as a fan?

TB: Yes, I did watch Hard Knocks, and I can say it made me even more of a fan of Dan Campbell and the Lions. It's totally restored my faith in the franchise. Also, I am now a massive Jamaal Williams fan.

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