Washington Commanders super fan Melba Jacobson recently turned 100 years old! I met her at training camp 10 years ago, and she’s still going strong with her fandom.
We reminisced about our first meeting and all the players — past and present — Jacobson has met over the years. Former quarterback Joe Theismann, who spent 12 years with the team, is one of them. He shared a birthday greeting with the now centenarian that also fulfilled a promise.
“Hello, Melba. When you turned 99, I told you I was looking forward to wishing you a happy 100th birthday. Well, here we are. So happy 100th. And may you have many, many, many more. You are a very special person. Matter of fact, you’re my hero. Enjoy your birthday.”
Jacobson moved to D.C. from Texas in 1941 and has been a fan of the Burgundy and Gold ever since: “I just love it!”
She refers to the coaches and players as “her boys.”
Her family threw a party for the 100-year-old matriarch Sunday. About 80 family members and friends were there from Maryland, Virginia, Arizona, West Virginia and beyond. They had a three-tiered birthday cake decorated with the words, “100 Years of Love.”
There were toasts, stories and a lot of love for the woman who has lived through 17 presidents. She has four children, 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Her secret to reaching her age? She said is to just enjoy life.
I first spotted Jacobson while covering training camp for a D.C.-area TV station. She had a sign saying she was celebrating her birthday by spending time with her favorite team. That was in 2014, but Jacobson remembers it clearly.
“You were first,” she said.
The photographer and I tried to make sure the team’s top brass noticed Jacobson. And boy, did they!
“Every training camp since, other than, of course, the COVID years, she’s been back there and the team has treated her royally,” her son Jay said.
There are plenty of pictures and videos that demonstrate his statement.
One of my favorite images is Chase Young, who wore the number 99 when he was with Washington, holding up his jersey next to the one Jacobson was wearing that said, “younger.” And it all happened on her 99th birthday.
Before we hung up our call on Monday, I asked Jay how he thinks his mom has lived so long.
“Sometimes, good things happen to good people, and she’s the best,” he said.
No lies detected there!
On Tuesday, Melba will attend another Washington training camp with her four children.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
