Washington Redskins running back Chris Thompson once prayed in the end zone before a game at Philadelphia when a fan shouted at him -- in mid-prayer -- that God wasn't going to help him that day.
"I was like, dang, all right, that's a little harsh," Thompson told ESPN980 Wednesday afternoon.
But not as harsh as what Thompson heard sometimes happens in the stands, which is why he doesn't want his family to attend Monday night's game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Philadelphia has gained a reputation for being a hostile place for visiting teams and fans. The Redskins' bus was once pelted with eggs, with players laughing afterward about seeing little kids flip them off. And former Redskins running back Clinton Portis' mother once got into a fight during a game in Philadelphia, punching someone after an Eagles fan had tossed a beer into her section of fans.
It's not as if the Redskins always have issues there, but enough for word to spread. Those words reached Thompson during his rookie year of 2013.
"I heard that's the one stadium you keep your family from going to," Thompson said. "My family will be here this week, and they were like, 'I want to come to the Philly game.' I said, 'Absolutely not, you're going to have to wait until Dallas comes around.' Because my stepdad, he's a big guy and if he starts fighting, it'll be real bad out there. I was told that right away my rookie year: Keep your family away."
Thompson's family members, who live in Florida, haven't been able to watch him play much in person. Thompson leads the Redskins in receiving yards (340) and rushing yards (175). But despite warning his family to go see him play the following week at home against the Cowboys instead, Thompson can't wait for Monday night.
"Philly fans are some of the meanest fans I've ever experienced," Thompson told 980. "So I'm excited about that as well.
"I mean, that's their fans. That's their base. And if they're like that, that's just what it is."