Making it to any professional sports league takes more work than most can imagine. For many players, it takes a lifetime of dedication to becoming one of the best in the world at what they do. It also takes a strong support system to ensure that players have all the tools necessary to make it to the pros.
Of course, once you get there, the benefits more than pay off for all that hard work. Money and fame can go so far, but many players choose to share some of that money and fame with their support system. Las Vegas Raiders safety Johnathan Abram did just that this past weekend.
In a video shared on his personal Twitter account, Abram brought his mother to tears as he surprised her with a new home:
Anything for my mama 💕 pic.twitter.com/Dm5qjtQP2c
— Johnathan Abram 🐆 (@JohnathanAbram1) March 14, 2020
Love you! pic.twitter.com/BLYu0kJ4ZP
— Johnathan Abram 🐆 (@JohnathanAbram1) March 14, 2020
It looked like Abram had family and friends surprise his mom in the garage of the house. She was clearly in shock as she started to tear up before the garage door opened.
Abram has quickly become a Raiders fan favorite despite only appearing in one game of his rookie season. A severe shoulder injury ended up keeping him sidelined, but head coach Jon Gruden believed he would be a big part of the Raiders defense.
Hopefully next year Abram can be a difference on defense as the Raiders could really use some help on that side of the ball. The Raiders had one of the worst past defenses in the league in 2019 and could use the extra intimidation Abram brings.
The Raiders offseason appears to be focused on adding pieces to the defense, mainly cornerbacks. Safeties should be set between Abram and Erik Harris, although they could look to add some depth given Abram’s injury history.
Abram spent three years in the NCAA system, starting at the University of Georgia before moving on to Mississippi State. In his final year, he totaled 99 tackles and grabbed two interceptions, which helped propel him to the first round of the NFL Draft.
Although the sports world and world at large has been put on hold by the coronavirus, Abram should be ready to go for the next NFL season. It was reported last month that his shoulder is 90% healthy. With that in mind, should the NFL offseason proceed normally, Abram should be able to partake in most of the Raiders offseason workouts.
