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Jaguars Draft Pick’s Mom Goes Viral for Hilarious Answer About Family’s Journey

Brian Thomas Jr.'s mother was a big winner on draft night.
Brian Thomas Jr.'s mother, Sandra
Brian Thomas Jr.'s mother, Sandra

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Sometimes, over the three-hour slog the first round of the NFL draft can become, the content gods smile upon a player's relative and they wind up outshining the player himself. This year, the relative in question was the mother of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

Drafted 23rd overall by the Jaguars out of LSU, Thomas celebrated his selection by Jacksonville while ABC interviewed his parents.

"It's awesome. That's all I can tell you. It's awesome, it's an awesome feeling," Thomas's father Brian Thomas Sr. said.

"Sandra, how far has this family come?" Thomas's mother was asked.

"We came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana," she replied.

The interaction drew laughs from NFL fans as a humorous rebuttal to human-interest draft reporting that can occasionally veer into unseemly territory.

Thomas, born in Youngsville, La., played three years with the Tigers. He broke out in his final season, catching 68 passes for 1,177 yards and an FBS-high 17 touchdowns. His quarterback, Jayden Daniels, won the Heisman Trophy and was selected No. 2 by the Washington Commanders earlier in the night.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .