PHOENIX – Former Cardinals and current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins stands stunned on the field after punching his ticket to his first-ever Super Bowl. beating the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship game. Hopkins, with tears in his eyes, has his arms around his godmother and his mother, Sabrina Greenlee.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Greenlee holds his son’s hand and says, “We made it.” A feat that seemed impossible back during Hopkins’ childhood in Clemson, South Carolina.
"It means a lot to bring my mother to a Super Bowl" ❤️ @DeAndreHopkins pic.twitter.com/vasAjyoq9M
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 4, 2025
As a single mother, Greenlee raised Hopkins and his three siblings all by herself and strived to push them to become the best versions of themselves even when the environment tried to deter them. A message she lived by in 2002 after a domestic violence incident involving acid left her permanently blind.
After a month-long medically induced coma, she woke up. Hopkins initially was shocked to see his mother in this condition and didn’t know how to handle it. However, he soon realized his mother needed help after hitting rock bottom. So, a month after his tenth birthday, Hopkins grew up.
Young Hopkins would go around the house trying to help his mother with any chores or errands that needed to be run, glued to her hip. It was a job he was happy to do, but his avenue to escape from the grim reality was on the football field. The tragedy left Hopkins more motivated than ever to excel on the gridiron. In retrospect, the potential Hall of Famer doesn’t know whether he would’ve been as dedicated to succeeding without the will to avenge his mother after the accident.
During his high school career, Hopkins was a four-star recruit and the 12th-best wide receiver in the nation. He committed to the University of Clemson to stay close to his mother.
Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins catches a ball near Georgia Tech safety Mario Butler during a game in Memorial Stadium in Clemson in 2010. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney talking about the acrobatic catch in a press conference after the game said Hopkins was a special talent. Hopkins is current one of the top receivers in the NFL with the Houston Texans after playing at Clemson.
Hopkins left Clemson as the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,020 and touchdowns, which led to him being selected #27 overall by the Texans in the 2013 draft. His mother sat beside him when he got the call.
Apr 26, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans first round draft pick wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins poses for a picture with his mother Sabrina Greenlee during a press conference at at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
In Houston, Hopkins would become a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, but the most important accomplishment was being able to hand his mother every touchdown pass. Greenlee would sit front row at every Texans game, and no matter the point in the game, Hopkins would go to his mother.
Sunday is Hopkins’ biggest game of his career. But the strength and courage he’ll possess because of his mother’s attendance motivates him to be able to hand her one more touchdown catch, this time in the Super Bowl.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
