The NFL combine is an opportunity for players to steal the stage and make a name for themselves, boosting their draft stocks in the process.
However, former Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold took the opportunity to shine the spotlight on someone else. During a televised interview with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales, Arnold offered a heartwarming message to his mother, Tamala.
“Mom, if you’re watching this right now, your son just wants to say 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, people counting you out, and honestly, mom, like I tell you, you raised a star. I just want to say, Tamala Arnold, I love you. I’m right here, 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 how you raised me to be.
“I’ll never forget where I came from. Tallahassee, Florida, is a hard place to make it out of and everybody watching this from back at home, I hope you’re proud of me because I gave it my all. Y’all tune into pro day because it’s going to be a show. Like I said, right here at the combine, I had to come out here and compete. But this was just the warmup, I was kind of getting my feet wet.”
.@AlabamaFTBL DB Terrion Arnold's message to his mom his beautiful. ❤️🥹
"I'm gonna continue to keep shining, just how you raised me to be." @StaceyDales
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Rqn73mwwif— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2024
After redshirting his first season in 2021, the former five-star prospect was a Freshman All-American and occasional starter in 2022. He took a major leap as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, earning First Team All-American honors after tying for the SEC lead with five interceptions.
Arnold is widely expected to be a first-round pick in next month’s draft, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. currently ranks him as the No. 3 cornerback and 17th-best prospect overall.
