Matt Stafford spent 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions. And even though he will be under center for the Los Angeles Rams next season, Stafford and his wife have decided to leave a gift to the city that welcomed him with open arms when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the team in 2009.

On Thursday, Stafford and his wife, Kelly, announced that they are donating $1 million to help build a new education center with SAY Detroit, a nonprofit organization that helps students from low-income families overcome literacy inequalities and educational challenges.

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"There are not enough words to truly express how grateful we are to have lived here for the past 12 years," Kelly Stafford wrote on Instagram. "We came here for football, but we are leaving with a sense of home and endearment. Endearment not only for this city and the Lions organization, but a love for the people who make up this community. Detroit has supported our family not only by showing up on Sundays but also through our most difficult times. You took us in as your own and made Detroit feel like home and that is what it became, our home.

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"It has been our goal to always give back to the city. Detroit and its people have blessed us in so many ways, we only hope you have felt our gratitude through our joy of giving back to the city."

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"The Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center" will be built in Detroit’s Lipke Park on the grounds of SAY Detroit’s Play Center. The facility, which is expected to be approximately 20,000 square feet, will feature six classrooms, learning labs, an auditorium as well as a vocational training space.