Roanoke boy gets 'Flat Stanley' back from Patriots just in time for Super Bowl

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - A local Patriots had a friend to watch the Super Bowl with on Sunday.

After the team lost in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos last year, Elijah Townsend, from Roanoke, insisted his Flat Stanley visit the team.

So the family packed the beloved book character, decked out appropriately in red, white and blue, in an envelope and sent him off.

Flat Stanley spent the whole 2016 season with the team doing everything from taking a tour of Gillette Stadium, the Patriots home, to sitting in on a few practices, to chatting with quarterback Tom Brady.

The Patriots sent back their guest on Thursday so that he could tell Elijah all about his adventures and watch the Super Bowl with him.