At the University of Texas senior night on the last regular-season game of the season, Longhorns offensive lineman Tope Imade honored his late mother by holding a photograph of her as he ran out of the tunnel for the last time.
According to Imade, his mother was “caring, loving and compassionate.”
He said when his mother got diagnosed he FaceTimed her and she didn’t seem like herself, according to KVUE. After last season's Alamo Bowl, he went home to see his mother and saw the shape she was in, and she died a little more than three months later.
Imade’s mother Betty was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2019, and he took a leave of absence from Texas and the football team. He later returned to school, but her condition worsened and she died on March 16, 2020. Imade said he doesn’t cry easy, but he told KVUE that his emotions were flowing and he vowed to keep her spirit alive.
“It started off in dance and then violin and then karate and then ultimately football,” said Imade. “[Betty] would always show up and show her support and it just meant a lot to me.”
The Longhorns defeated Kansas State 22-17 in the senior game Nov. 26 in front of Imade’s family.