I was given this football at the best Browns game ever, the double OT win over the Jets in 1987

My aunt, Rita, is only a few years older than me and my brothers. We've always thought of her as our older sister. When we were little, she's the one that introduced us to the Cleveland Browns. 

Rita was also born in Argentina. Our grandparents and Rita moved to the U.S. five years before we did, when we moved in with them in Akron. So, like most in Northeast Ohio, she was a fan of the Cleveland sports teams. 

For Christmas in 1986, she got us tickets for the Browns upcoming playoff. We were young, but already kinda understood the 'new' sport and were fans of the team - though the game would turn us into the passionate fans that we are these days. 

The four of us bundled up in layers and got to the January 3, 1987 playoff game at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium against the New York Jets very early. Excited, we ran in when the gates opened.

My older brother, Dani, threw his stuff on a seat and ran down 20 rows to the edge of the field to try to get an autograph. The player that was down was NY Jets defensive lineman Marty Lyons. Lyons had some sort of brace around his shoulder, so he was warming up his arm while talking to TV personality Ahmad Rashad. 

At the time, me, Rita, and Leo were walking down our row picking Dani's stuff up and finding our seats. But then of course I also wanted to be down with Dani. I run back towards the aisle and started running down when I hear, "hey you, catch."

The ball was coming right at me, but I didn't catch the ball. With no one around I quickly picked it up and yelled 'thanks.' He had signed the ball "See ya in the NFL, Marty Lyons, 1-3-87.

Little did we know how that game would turn out, with Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar setting passing records as the Browns came back from 10 down with less than four minutes to play - and then won in double overtime. Lyons would end up being a Pro Bowler. Here's the Cleveland Plain Dealer's story of that game. Here's how Sports Illustrated told the story of that record-setting game. 

A lot of people around us left before the late rally, but we stayed till the end. The football, which we hid in a bag under our seats, is still in decent shape.

I've been to a ton of Browns games since, and now have season tickets.