“You’re not going to give up”-these were the words that the Texas Longhorns’ DL stuck by and now sits at the top of the Big 12 league. Though he’s made his fair share of mistakes, T’Vondre Sweat never had to break a sweat when it comes to having his mother’s support.
T’Vondre Sweat, the defensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns, is one of the most outstanding forces in college football right now. He won the Outland Trophy and was also a proud receiver of the unanimous All-American honors in the 2023 season. With his brother Josh Sweat already an NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles, here’s a look at the parents of T’vondre, who have guided him to his success.
A brief look at T’Vondre Sweat’s parents
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T’vondre’s mother is Lasunda Ross, who has been the backbone of the Longhorns’ DL throughout his career. While there isn’t much to be revealed about the player’s father, it is evident that his mother has been the sole provider for the family as her sons continue to shine in the sport of football. The huge size and bulk of T’Vondre has always had fans speculating about the cause of his massive physique and thankfully, his mother plays a major role in it.
DT T'Vondre Sweat of @TexasFootball (center), the 2023 @outlandtrophy recipient, receives his trophy Wednesday night in Omaha. He is flanked by his mother Lashanda Ross, (right) and his two brothers BJ (far left) and Quintas (far right). @TheFWAA. pic.twitter.com/Wi5aYfdsbG
— Football Writers Association of America (@TheFWAA) January 11, 2024
According to a recent revelation, it was T’Vondre’s mother who advised him to eat regularly and properly to maximize his physical strength. She said to him, “If you’re hungry, you have to eat. You can’t starve. So when you get on that field, you have to eat.” Moreover, with the state-of-the-art nourishment facilities within the university’s program, it didn’t take too long for T’vondre to soon up his weight to 362 pounds and grow up to 6 foot 4 inches.
There is no doubt that he is a freak of nature on the field and continues to demolish any offensive attacks that come his way. Even in that sense, it’s his mother’s words that echo in his ears every time he makes a fierce tackle. Before every game, Lashunda talks to her son and in the Big 12 Championship game, she gave T’vondre a savage piece of advice. She said to him, “Get out there and get that quarterback. Get out there and run over something. I need you to put your hands on something. I always tell him that, and he says, ‘yes, ma’am.’” The man in orange has now become the prized jewel of the Texas team and in a few years, he could very well go on to become one of the best tackles in the history of the NFL, if he continues to be the consistent player that he is.