Monica Blakely
Montgomery County, Maryland native Monica Blakely has a lot of titles of which she can be proud, from small business owner and philanthropist to mom and wife. Now, she can add "Commanders Fan of the Year" to the list.
A love for Washington football began with her dad who immigrated to the D.C metro area from Iran. Monica, an only child, found that the Burgundy & Gold was a special way of bonding with him. She set a goal of one day being able to afford season tickets and making sure her dad, who is disabled, always had a spot for home games.
Monica eventually realized that dream and her Washington fandom has only grown as she has gotten older. She has been known to even make trips to the NFL draft whenever possible. And now, with her ever-growing number of seats, she attends games with both her dad and husband and has passed down a love for Washington football to her own daughter.
As if having it be so personal wasn't enough, football has also become a cornerstone of Monica's professional life. Monica's custom apparel business Passion for Ezra specializes in sports-themed items. A career highlight for her was creating Donna Kelce's split Chiefs-Eagles denim jacket that hit headlines at last year's Super Bowl.
When she is not painting a set of shoes for a client or cheering on the Commanders at FedExField, Monica can be found giving back to those in need through holiday events, donation of her Commanders tickets and more.
Considering the person she is and the diehard way she loves her team, there's no doubt the Commanders picked a gem to call its 2023 Fan of the Year.