Higgins’ inspiring story in his own words
By: will-vandervort April 14, 2020

Look, I am an emotional person. Probably a little too much, if you ask me.

It does not take much to move me or to get me teary-eyed. Whether it is reading the Word, watching a special moment on television, watching a movie or experiencing something in everyday life.

As the saying goes, “I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

So, I can say reading Tee Higgins’ story about his mom called ‘Momma’s Boy’ in The Players’ Tribune, brought me to tears several times. I had heard of Higgins’ story, but I did not really know the details or understand in it, until I read it, “in his own words” this morning.

It is truly a great testimonial about his young life and a tribute to his mom and their relationship. It gives you an understanding on who Tee Higgins really is and the struggles he and his family have been through as his mom recovered from drug abuse.

I am not going to repeat the story here, I want you to go read it and read how Higgins described it. However, what I will do is tell you what a great story it is and what a great woman his mom has become.

You can feel how much she loves Higgins through his words, and you can feel how much he loves her. It is a story that will bring you to tears as it did me many times as I read through it.

I have had the pleasure of covering Tee Higgins for three seasons. He is without a doubt one of the best wide receivers I have seen at Clemson. I don’t know Higgins personally other than the times I have been able to interview him at press gatherings or after games.

However, I do know this. He has always carried himself professionally. He is always polite. He always answers the questions. And though he is quiet, when he does speak or answers a question, he answers it honestly and very precisely.

At the end of the column, Higgins speaks directly to the NFL teams who might be thinking about selecting him in the 2020 NFL Draft, which will be held April 23-25. He explains all of his athletic qualities, as you might expect, but then he tells them the biggest selling point of them all.

“The big thing with me is…. Me! Like … me the person,” he writes. “I’m someone who has lived through some stuff, someone who appreciates every single day and goes out of his way to bring a ton of optimism and positive energy to the locker room. My whole vibe is just … put in the work, never complain, and earn the respect of the veterans. Show people right away that you’re someone they can trust, someone who will always have their backs.

“I’m never going to take anything for granted. Ever.”

If you read his story, you can understand why. I advise you, again, to give it a read. If you were a Tee Higgins fan before this article, you are going to be an even bigger one than you were. If you weren’t a Tee Higgins fan, I guarantee you will be after you are through.

This is an inspiring story, and probably was a difficult one for him to share. But, as this story indicates, it’s one that has surely made his mom even more proud of him than she already is.

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