The NFL journey of Los Angeles Rams’ LB Omar Speights is incomplete without mentioning his mom! From escaping the violence in Philadelphia to moving to Oregon before entering the NFL, the sacrifices of his mom form the backdrop to his story. When he moved to Oregon and joined OSU later, as he earned his first-team All-Pac 12 honors, his mom knew she had made the right decision.

A guiding angel, Patricia has been very proud of her son, who signed with the Rams in May 2024, after he was left undrafted. And, given the tumultuous backdrop to his story, fans are equally interested to know more about Patricia Reichner.

Who is Patricia Reichner?

Omar’s mom, Patricia Reichner, has been his shield across his life. As a white woman raising three Black children in Mantua, a neighborhood in West Philadelphia with resource depravity, and high violence levels, things were not easy for her. And, keeping her children safe from gun violence was her ultimate priority.

As noted in The Inquirer’s article from 2018, she recalled the dangers of the community, adding, “People don’t just have guns, they have machine guns.” Hence, her survival mode was always on, to navigate the difficulties, while teaching her kids to be street-smart.

Recalling their mother’s struggle, Omar’s elder brother recollected Patricia’s struggles in yet another article posted by The Inquirer back in 2023. He remarked, “I saw my mom be brave in situations she shouldn’t have had to be brave in. I saw her persevere when it seemed like there was nobody in support of her.”

Patricia played the role of both mother and father in her children’s lives. And, now even though her kids have grown up, she feels that her role as a mom is not over yet. She told The Inquirer in 2023, “We’re not finished yet. I have to continue molding [my kids]. They’ll tell you differently. They say, ‘Mom, I’m grown.’ I feel like I still have more mothering to do.” And, she continues to do so. Through her X handle, @BraysMeMom, she evidently displays her support for her son, Omar.

How has Patricia Reichner been a part of Omar’s NFL journey?

Patricia knew the risk of being a mother to a high-profile athlete. And, she feared that the probability of being at the wrong place at the wrong time was high. Owing to the violence, she was surrounded by an overwhelming sense of fear and unease.

Seeing the escalation of violence when Omar was playing at Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia, especially after the disheartening murder of Omar’s friend and teammate, Kristian Marche, she was terribly worried.

This propelled her to send her son to Oregon. Even though the decision was emotionally taxing, she knew she had to execute it. According to SaturdayOutWest’s article published two years ago, Patricia noted that, “It was the best decision I ever made.” She further recounted the pain of separation due to violence with The Inquirer, as she commented, “Nobody should have to bury their child, and nobody should have to move their child to another state to keep them safe.”

When he took to opting for transfer to LSU instead of NFL draft, Patricia shared an emotional tweet, remarking, “Dear Beaver Nation, This is probably the hardest tweet ever. Please know this was not an easy decision for Omar,” back in Jan, 2023.

But she also thanked the fans for being supportive.  Again on Aug 12, sitting at SoFi stadium, as she watched his son play his first NFL football game, she was moved to tears, as she tweeted, “I have to admit I got teary eyed and choked up. God is so good! And Omar had a great game💙.” Indeed, she is Omar’s biggest supporter and continues to support him through thick and thin.