Senior Alex Brown, quarterback for New Jersey’s Red Bank Catholic High School, scored eight touchdowns on his 18th birthday, just one day after his mom, Michelle, passed away after a 14-year battle with breast cancer.
Brown threw for six and rushed for two more in their 58-34 playoff win over Morris Catholic. He said he felt his mom’s presence on the field with him the entire time.
Yesterday I lost my amazing mother. Today I scored 8 touchdowns, thank you for watching over me mama❤️ pic.twitter.com/gdg28FVbsA
— Alex Brown QB (@AlexRayBrown2) November 13, 2021
After scoring the first touchdown, he bent down on one knee in the end zone and paid tribute to his mother.
“And right after I threw that first touchdown pass, I looked into the sky, and I just said, ‘Thank you, mom,’ because I knew that she was going to be with me the whole night,” he told Inside Edition.
Thank you @TomBrady for reaching out❤️ You are a huge role model and someone I look up to not only in football but in life, thank you❤️ my mama would be extremely happy https://t.co/9pAGYmbyLw
— Alex Brown QB (@AlexRayBrown2) November 14, 2021
Even Buccaneers QB Tom Brady acknowledged Brown’s incredible feat, commenting that he was proud of him.
Michelle had spent the majority of her son’s life battling breast cancer. Although she wasn’t expected to live that long, she never gave up. Brown says his mom was meant to give people hope and strength.
Today I lost my best friend, my teacher, and my mother. My mom had been battling breast cancer that had spread throughout her body for 14 years, she was never supposed to make it this long, but through love and her insane strength she fought. I love you mama, Rest In Peace ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/KPmLUSQnxz
— Alex Brown QB (@AlexRayBrown2) November 12, 2021
Brown plans to continue telling his mom’s story in the hopes of inspiring others to keep fighting.
“I don’t want people to get sad,” he told Inside Edition. “I want people to take it in and just understand that you should always keep fighting and fighting for the people that you love and fighting for the things you believe in. And I think that’s what she would want.”
Brown graduates this school year and has already committed to Bucknell University.