Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold put on quite the show during his drills at the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Friday, but it was the heartfelt message he delivered afterward that had everyone buzzing.
Following the conclusion of his on-field workout at Lucas Oil Stadium, Arnold joined NFL Network’s Stacey Dales to break down his performance. He then took the opportunity to thank “Miss Terry” — Terry Saban, the wife of former Alabama head coach Nick Saban — before sending out a whole lot of love to his own mother, Tamala.
“(Miss Terry) texted me right before I came out here, I told her ‘it was just like another game,'” Arnold said. “She said ‘you should be blessed, you’re highly favored’ and she said ‘just go out there and give it your all’ … Just encouraging words for her, just like old times.”
Then the real emotion took over as Arnold looked into the camera and addressed his lovely Momma.
“Mom, if you’re watching this right now, your son just wanted to tell you how proud he is of you,” Arnold said. “You had me at a young age and you overcame a lot of adversity. People were doubting you, counting you out. And honestly mom like I always tell you, you raised a star. . . I just want to say, Tamala Arnold, I love you, the whole world is watching and I’m blessed to have you as a mom.
“Like I said, you overcame a lot and with that being said I’m going to continue to keep shining just like you raised me to be. I’ll never forget where I came from, Tallahassee, Florida, it’s a hard place to make it out of. And everybody watching this back at home, I hope you’re proud of me because I gave it my all.”
Arnold checked boxes both on and off the field on Friday. And if an NFL team wants to add a rookie with good character, look no further than this Alabama defensive back, who is ranked No. 17 on Mel Kiper’s big board.
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