Weather 
Cindy Miller, the late wife of beloved Detroit Lions radio play-by-play announcer Dan Miller, was in the hearts and minds of the team just hours after her death.
Cindy died on Saturday, October 10, following a battle with leptomeningeal cancer, which occurs when cancerous cells spread from a primary tumor to the thin layers of tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. She was 63.
Dan, 64, missed the radio call of the Lions’ 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 11, in the wake of his wife’s death. After the win, Lions quarterback Jared Goff got emotional discussing the Miller family.
“We’re thinking about Dan,” Goff, 31, told Fox Sports’ Allison Williams while fighting back tears. “Yeah, sorry. We’re thinking about you, Dan. Love you, man.”
Goff added, “He’s just an important part of the culture here. He really is. His voice is Lions football, and he means a lot to us. He’s a part of our family. I talk to him weekly. I know he’s in our hearts right now and all of our prayers.”
Dan has been the radio play-by-play announcer for the Lions since 2005.
After Sunday’s victory, a visibly emotional Lions head coach Dan Campbell awarded the game ball to the radio broadcaster.
“This ball goes to Dan Miller and his family,” Campbell, 50, said during his postgame press conference. “That was hard to hear what they went through. I know it’s been a tough road for Dan. It’s for him. Salt of the earth, man. Dan is salt of the earth. I know this has been hard, but now I know Cindy’s at peace. We love you, Dan. Appreciate you.”
Dan and Cindy’s daughter, Rikki, reacted to Campbell’s message, saying the head coach and his wife, Holly, “have been incredible throughout my mom’s entire cancer journey, from literally day one.”
Rikki said her mother died at 2:40 a.m. on Saturday “surrounded by the deep and abounding love of her husband, kids, and animals.”
“My mommy, my best friend, my soulmate, my everything,” Rikki shared via Facebook. “I don’t know how I am supposed to survive even one hour without you by my side. We traveled the world, we saw the shows, we said yes to everything, but we had so much left to do. We never saw Paris, we never got our One Direction reunion. My heart is broken. I love you more than anyone will ever love anyone, mommy.”
