CBS2 -- BOISE — For Nampa couple Michael and Bonnie Bigham, this weekend's Super Bowl is more than a game, it's a family affair.
For more than a decade, Michael's father Vance Bigham, was the San Francisco 49ers head of security, joining the team at a time when they were a consistent presence in the big game -- even winning a Super Bowl and earning Vance and his wife their very own Super Bowl rings.
Through his years of employment with the 49ers, Vance collected a wide variety of 49ers memorabilia, including a pair of Joe Montana's game-worn pants, alongside a pair of Jerry Rice's signed shoes. Vance also collected Wheaties cereal boxes featuring 49ers players, which he often had the players' sign.
"He started as an Oakland Raiders fan before he got out there," Michael said. "He even used to bet against the 49ers. Once he was with the team, you couldn't say a bad word about the 49ers to him."
Michael said that Vance always felt at home with the 49ers, saying Vance felt he was just another member of the team.
"He didn't just keep them safe, he helped keep them out of trouble," Michael said. "If a player got pulled over, or some other trouble, they'd call my dad. When I lived at home, I'd pick up the phone at 2 a.m. and it would be a player saying, 'I'm in trouble, can you put your dad on?'"
That team camaraderie kept his dad passionate about his work, Michael said, and in the spirit of his father, he tries to keep that passion alive by displaying his dad's collection and showing it off to anyone who'd like to see it.
"He loved his work, and how many of us are so lucky that we love our job so much, we never call in sick, we want to be there every day," Michael said. "That was my dad. He loved going to work."
Michael said that though he is always rooting for the 49ers, he hopes for a good game this weekend, one that would have filled his father's heart with pride.
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