The star athlete attributes his achievements to his mother, acknowledging her pivotal role in shaping his journey. Their connection runs deep, strengthened by the challenges they’ve endured together—including one life-altering event that forever changed the course of her life.
DeAndre Hopkins was raised by his mother, Sabrina Greenlee, who worked tirelessly to provide for him and his three siblings in a challenging environment. With his uncle’s encouragement, he pursued football, using sports as an escape alongside his brother and two sisters.
Hopkins’ dedication to the sport propelled him to excel at Clemson University, where his talent on the field set him apart. In 2013, the Houston Texans selected him in the NFL Draft, securing his place as a wide receiver with a multimillion-dollar contract.
Now, as he prepares for one of the biggest moments of his career, Hopkins described the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage as “a dream come true” during the Super Bowl LIX press conference.
He has also made football a family affair, honoring a tradition of handing his blind mother, Sabrina Greenlee, the ball after every touchdown.
That gesture stood out in November 2019 when he scored twice in a 20-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, a victory that put Houston atop the AFC South.
The NFL star’s success marks a stark contrast to his early years in Central, South Carolina, a town where poverty and personal hardships shaped much of his upbringing. Tragedy struck early when his father died in a car accident, leaving Greenlee to raise him and his siblings alone.
As she struggled to provide for her family, more heartbreak followed—his uncle, former pro-football player Terry Smith, was killed by police during a domestic disturbance. Two years later, his 21-year-old cousin attempted suicide.
Weeks after Hopkins’ 10th birthday, an unthinkable act of violence shattered his world and changed Greenlee’s life forever. In July 2002, the mother of four woke up to find her car missing, quickly realizing that a man she had been dating had taken it without asking.
Determined to retrieve it, she went to an address he had given her. As he stepped outside, apologizing, an unknown woman appeared, carrying a bucket filled with bleach and lye. Seconds later, searing pain spread across Greenlee’s body as the liquid hit her skin.
“And as I’m lying there, the first thing I’m thinking is, ‘Why would someone pour warm water on my face?'” she recalled in a 2019 interview. “But a couple of seconds later, I realized it wasn’t warm water, because my skin is literally falling off my face, my neck, my chest and my back.”
A blinding whiteness clouded her vision as her boyfriend picked up her limp body and put her in a car. At a nearby gas station, he sought help, startling an attendant who screamed at the sight of Greenlee’s injuries.
They rushed her to the back of the store, dousing her face with water as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Slumped against a wall near a fountain, Greenlee struggled to stay awake—until a chilling realization hit her. Her boyfriend had disappeared, leaving her alone to wonder if he had abandoned her for dead.
Though the physical scars remained, her journey to healing had just begun. She later shared her story in her memoir, “Grant Me Vision: A Journey of Family, Faith, and Forgiveness,” which includes a foreword by DeAndre Hopkins.
Despite everything, the devoted parent wouldn’t change a thing, saying, “I knew that I had to forgive the people who offended me or left me there… I did it for my children, because I needed to get back to being a mother.”
Her attacker was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but Greenlee chose to let go of anger—even praying for the woman and working to see her as human rather than the monster she once imagined.
