Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nolan Smith was selected 30th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday and he can finally fulfill the promise made to his single mother, Cha'Keima Bigham.
Bigham raised three children by herself while working at a gas station and Smith made sure to thank his mom for all her sacrifices via an Instagram post following a College Football National Championship berth on May 9, 2021.
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"I owe you the world but I can't give it to you just yet," Smith wrote. "But I can thank you mom for the clothes off your back, working in Enmark gas station to provide for me and [brother] Nez. Momma, I still remember those days when it was just us. You and three kids and you could have given up on us but you didn't.
"You took us to practice every day, made sure we had when you had nothing. Momma thank you, but not for raising three Black Men with no man around, but for teaching us how to fight and not just be like anyone else. I love you momma with all my heart!"
Now that Smith will be earning that NFL money, he can give "the world" to his mom, who has a generational talent for a son.
How good is Nolan Smith?
Smith and his Georgia teammate, Jalen Carter, will be joining a stacked Eages defense that led the NFL with 70 sacks last season.
The 22-year-old LB ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and recorded a 41-inch vertical in the 2023 NFL Combine. He stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 235 pounds.
Smith played 38 games in four seasons with the Bulldogs and racked up 63 solo tackles, 47 assisted tackles, 12.5 sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles.
Despite maintaining his personal life private until now, getting drafted by the Super Bowl runner-ups will have people probing Smith's every move, so he will have to adjust to a new lifestyle.
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