Army veteran shares story behind jersey swap with Damian Lillard

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    PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — A connection on social media lead to an improvised, special moment between Portland Trail Blazers pro Damian Lillard and an Army veteran, who is a lifelong Blazers fan.

Jersey swaps in sports are not a fairly uncommon thing, but Sunday night in the Moda Center, Lillard swapped his jersey with not another athlete – something much more special.

Army Sgt. First Class Michael Ramage is on his retirement tour.

“Because of my retirement year, I’m going into like 10 months left in the Army. I just thought it was kind of a neat idea to play off what professional athletes do,” he said.

After nearly 20 years serving, three tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan, Ramage – a lifelong Blazers fan – wanted to go out the way the pros do, so he messaged Lillard on Instagram.

“I messaged him and I said, ‘Hey, I have 19 years in the Army, I’m getting ready to retire’… I said, ‘Would you exchange my Army top for your game jersey?’ And he put, ‘Absolutely,’ and I was like, ‘What, this is unreal,’” Ramage said.

That was four weeks ago, and nothing was really set in stone.

“Closer the date got, I, you know, sent him a few more messages hoping to hear something back that would solidify that it’s happening and nothing. But I thought, you know, he’s got 6 million followers – people probably bother him all the time. I’ll bring the top just in case,” Ramage said.

Ramage was gifted courtside tickets that night. He didn’t have any way to know whether Lillard would remember or know who he was.

“And I try to get his attention and my wife is like, ‘Michael, stop it, you’re embarrassing me,’” said Ramage.

Finally, the game ended.

“Nobody had set time or positions, it was not cued. He starts walking towards me so when I get up to walk towards him, security’s like, ‘Hey, you can’t go beyond the court,’ and Damian goes, ‘He’s good, he’s good,’” Ramage said.

And it happened – Lillard’s game-worn jersey was swapped for Ramage’s service-worn fatigues.

“Those particular ones most recently had been in Kuwait with me,” Ramage said.

So Ramage now has a jersey and a story.

“And he goes, ‘I would sign it for you but i don’t have a sharpie,’ and I was like, ‘I brought one just in case,’ and I pulled it out and he goes, ‘I’m sorry – it’s soaking wet.’ And I was like, ‘That’s all right. I’m good with that’ and he went to sign it and it’s a little bit faded cause the pen just wasn’t taking to the wet jersey, but that just adds to the story I think,” said Ramage.

On Veterans Day, one pro recognizing another.

“The whole thing is tangible, and that’s what it means to me. It’s not just a jersey, it’s a story that’s going to live on as long as I’m alive,” Ramage said.

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