It’s not easy breaking into the NFL, you’re competing against thousands and thousands of promising candidates. Yet each year only a few hundred make it in, and of those, most won’t get to play consistently. Trenton Simpson made it in though, in the 3rd round of the draft last year.

But it was a long journey getting there, one that took discipline, dedication, and love. For that, he had to look to his family, an adoring mother and father who were blessed to have him. Here’s more about them.

Who is Trenton Simpson’s dad?

Trenton Simpson’s dad Timothy Simpson is a true-blue American hero. The man served 17 overseas tours from 1994-2021 with the US Army Rangers. He was in Afghanistan from start to finish. He had a realization about what he wanted more than anything while he was serving. “I want to see my son grow up,” that’s equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. Well, he got his wish, and his son credits him with his success.

“Being able to have my dad as somebody to look at as motivation is truly a blessing because I can ask him a lot about adversity and how to respond to things like that. He’s just a great father for me, and a great role model,” Trenton said about his dad. Sergeant Major Timothy Simpson was able to instill in his son the discipline and sense of duty he needed to succeed. “I tell everyone, he’s the best version of me, without a doubt. If I was half as disciplined at his age, there’s no telling what I could have achieved,” the proud dad has said.

But before all that, Timothy Simpson had been a boy with nothing. He had athletic talent, but nothing to do with it. A child of divorce, he grew up living with his grandparents, his father nowhere in the picture. He used to watch college football on the TV but had neither the academic talent nor the resources to make it there. His senior year of high school saw him getting into trouble repeatedly. He was pulled over with a gun in his car, he had a motorcycle accident, and he was around shootings. He was in an unsteady phase in his life. It was the army that gave shape to his outlets and let him become the man he is today.

Who is Trenton Simpson’s mom?

We know relatively less about Trenton Simpson’s mom, Dionna Ford, but she’s obviously been meaningful in his life. Apparently, it was right from birth that Dionna knew Simpson was destined for greatness. She didn’t want him to just take his dad’s name, she wanted to give him the name of a superstar. And Trenton Simpson was that name, so what do you know? Sure worked out.

In an interview with the Charlotte Football Insiders, Dionna said she wasn’t surprised when Simpson made it big. “I knew that he was going to be the athlete that he is today based off my genetic athleticism and his dad’s. I watched him growing up, and to be honest, the athletics has always been there, the drive, determination, the discipline. This is honestly not a surprise at all,” she said, in the interview about his success last year.

And it’s clear Simpson has always appreciated her faith in him too. The number 23 jersey he wears is dedicated to her. In fact, when she used to play Softball, that’s the jersey number she wore. So there you have it, the Simpson athletic legacy has been kept alive, going into Trenton Simpson’s very successful second year with the Baltimore Ravens as a linebacker.