Ahead of the Green & White's Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers, the New York Jets announced that Principal Maria Francisco of the Renaissance at Rand Middle School in Montclair, NJ, as the Jets Fan of the Year presented by Captain Morgan.
Surrounded by friends, family and coworkers, Francisco was surprised with the news in the Tailgate Zone outside MetLife Stadium. She received a trip for two to Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, a custom Fan of the Year Jets Jersey and a swag pack courtesy of Captain Morgan.
"I can't even put it into words yet because I'm still processing it," Francisco said of winning the award. "My hands are still shaking. This is unbelievable and I'm incredibly grateful."
Francisco became a Jets fan after coming to the United States from Europe in 1986. She would sit outside with her neighbor listening to Jets games on the radio, and though Francisco didn't understand much English at the time, she "quickly learned the language of football."
Her fandom only grew from there. In college, Francisco tailgated at every home game with her roommate, whose uncle turned his Winnebago into a "Jet Mobile" decked out in green and white. After spending years dreaming of having her own season tickets, Francisco finally made that dream a reality three years ago -- and she hasn't looked back since.
"We come to almost every single game -- myself, my wife and my children," Francisco said. "We park in lot J21 and we have a whole community of tailgaters that we spend our Sundays with. And then we go into the game. I'm glad my kids can grow up that way. It's a ton of fun for our family."
Francisco, who said luxuries such as attending games were not part of her childhood, has dedicated her adult life to supporting children through work in the field of education.
"As a kid, school was my safe place," she said. "My mom couldn't read or write, and my older brother struggled a lot growing up, so I spent most of my time at school playing sports, staying busy and surrounded by teachers and coaches who quietly took care of me. They paid for trips, sports fees and even meals for my family when times were hard. I always knew I wanted to be that kind of adult for kids, the one who shows up. I became a physical education and health teacher and eventually a principal, and every day I try to give my students what others once gave me: support, structure and love."
Francisco has given her students something else, too -- she played an integral role in bringing the Play60 Jets Flag Football program to her school.
"We've had a blast running our co-ed team for three years straight," she said. "Watching our students wear Jets gear and learn to play together is pure joy."
Wearing the jersey of her favorite player -- WR Garrett Wilson -- when she received the news, Francisco had no shortage of Jets' memories with family and friends to share. But her newest memory -- being named the 2025 Jets Fan of the Year -- might just top the list.
"It's really special," Francisco said. "When I heard I could bring as many people as I wanted, it was really special, because it's taken a lot of people to get me here. I'm so glad I can share this with them."
The week of the Super Bowl, Francisco will fly to Santa Clara and compete for her chance to be crowned the 2025 NFL Fan of the Year presented by Captain Morgan.
Visit NFL.com to vote for Maria when voting opens in November!
