Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of those players who made a trademark entry in the NFL. The guy recorded 80 combined tackles and 51 solo tackles in his rookie season for the Miami Dolphins and proved why the 11th overall pick was the right decision for the Dolphins. Fast forward to now and the 28-year-old is the star of the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning Pro Bowl honors and leading their defense. But what’s behind all this success?

Well, there’s a lot more to Fitzpatrick’s story than just his athleticism. Spoiler alert: it’s the solid foundation he got from his parents. Now, we can’t talk about Fitzpatrick’s rise from Alabama Crimson Tide to the NFL stardom without giving credit to the people who made it all possible. Minkah has got the talent. There’s no denying that. But his parent’s support played a crucial role in his road to the NFL.

Who is Minkah Fitzpatrick’s mom?

Let’s start with the lady of the Fitzpatrick household—Melissa Fitzpatrick. Mom to Minkah and his four other siblings, she raised her kids with pure love and instilled discipline in them. But her life wasn’t as simple as it may seem. When Melissa and her husband bought their first apartment, they were thrown out of it. The reason? Due to them being an interracial couple.

But hold up, there’s more to her trials. Back in 2011, after the couple had built their house, hurricane Irene hit and flooded their safe haven. Talk about adding fuel to the fire. The hurricane left the Fitzpatrick family homeless, but Melissa was strong enough to take care of her family. She kept her family together and moved to her parent’s household. Add financial strains and that worked as a catalyst in her struggles.

But one thing was constant. Melissa didn’t back down and made sure Minkah and his siblings didn’t miss out on their education and dreams. Fast forward a few years and Melissa’s hard work paid off as his son had made it to the NFL. But hey, that doesn’t mean her job as a mother was over, right?

Remember Minkah’s days with the Dolphins? Though he had a standout rookie season with the team, he still had his share of criticism. It was the Miami Dolphins reporter, Omar Kelly, who once tweeted, “I don’t want to be a bearer of bad news but Minkah isn’t playing well at safety.” And guess what? Melissa didn’t take that criticism lightly.

She fired back at Kelly and tweeted, “No you would never want to do that maybe it’s because he is not a ss and is being used to suit other people’s skill set not his own. But you know let’s just keep ripping him because we know it breaks your heart to do that.” That’s Minkah Fitzpatrick’s mom to you who always has his son’s back.

Who is the Steelers Safety’s dad?

Now, it’s time to switch our attention to the man of the Fitzpatrick household, his dad, Minkah Fitzpatrick Sr. The definition to describe him? Well, he was the man who took all the responsibilities into his hands during the toughest time of his family. The thing is, even before the hurricane flooded Minkah’s house, his dad was going through a lot. He had already lost his job as a truck mechanic which pushed his family to a tough position.

To compensate for the loss and the struggles, Minkah Sr. started multiple jobs at a time with just one intention. To provide stability to his wife and kids. But what about their house? Well, thanks to his wife who took the kids to his parent’s house. That said, Minkah Sr. took the matter into his hands and started rebuilding their house. After all, he wanted his family to stay together in their own house, right?

Of course, the job wasn’t easy but Minkah’s dad was determined to make a new home for his family. During all those struggles, young Minkah learned many things and one of them was to grind if you really want to make it. And guess what? He indeed made a successful life for him and his family.