Apparently Aaron Rodgers has the golden touch.
Just ask Jeremy Wilcox, a communications technician who works the sidelines of Lambeau Field during Packers game. During the season finale against the Detroit Lions, Rodgers was caught on camera playfully tugging Wilcox's 9-inch-long beard on the sidelines.
It was a quiet moment, but fans freaked out, as noted in a profile by The New York Times. By the end of the game, Wilcox -- just your average guy living and working in northern Wisconsin -- was famous among Packers fans.
And, as it turns out, Rodgers' interaction was far from the first. The quarterback has made a habit of giving Wilcox's beard a yank during games, many times without looking at Wilcox or even acknowledging him. Until recently, Wilcox says the quarterback didn't even know his name.
But the pair had a fun relationship nonetheless. Now, it's one everyone knows about.
Wilcox recalls the first time Rodgers noticed his beard.
"I was just standing there, doing my thing, and he came over," Wilcox tells the NYT. “He was just staring at it at first. Then he started doing this thing, stroking his chin, like he had his own beard. He laughed. Then he came over and gave it a few yanks."
It wasn't until after he was caught on camera that Rodgers explained his fascination with Wilcox and his beard.
"I just noticed this huge dude with a sweet ginger beard," Rodgers explained to 540 ESPN Milwaukee.. "I think it’s good luck when you have a beard like that. I think Jeremy would agree."
As for Wilcox, he's now famous -- not just among friends and family, either. Strangers come up to him and ask for his autograph. They want to interact with another piece of Packers lore.
And he's happy to be a part of it all.
