Sabrina Greenlee Is DeAndre Hopkins' Mom — Meet the Woman He Owes His Career To

NFL star DeAndre Hopkins, currently a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, has pointed out that he owes his career to his mom, Sabrina Greenlee. The story of her life is one of a kind.

Sabrina Greenlee, a former high school cheerleader, had a tough time finding a good relationship as most of her boyfriends were violent. By the time she was 15 years old, she had been beaten four times and sent to the hospital once.

She met DeAndre’s dad, Steve, when she was 19 years old. Sabrina described him as a kind and loving man, but unfortunately, Steve passed away in a car accident when the NFL player was only a baby.

SABRINA GREENLEE, A STRUGGLING SINGLE MOTHER

It is important to point out that Sabrina was also in the car at the time of the accident, but she walked away almost uninjured. According to Sabrina, Steve was involved in illegal activities.

He was a liked and respected drug kingpin in their area and was actually out on bail when he died, waiting for a sentence that could put him in jail for decades due to trafficking.

[Sabrina] was put in a medically induced coma.

When Steve died, DeAndre Hopkins’ mom was 23 years old and alone with young children to take care of. To make ends meet, she worked at an automotive plant during the day and, at night, she was an exotic dancer.

To make matters worse, Sabrina kept getting romantically involved with violent men, something that “traumatized” her and DeAndre, who would frequently hear his mom screaming and being hurt.

In July 2002, Sabrina Greenlee was a victim of the most violent attack in her whole life, and it was the result of one of those toxic relationships she was involved in.

SABRINA GREENLEE’S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

After noticing that her car had gone missing, Sabrina contacted the man she had been dating for three months because she believed he had borrowed it without asking.

The man gave her an address where Sabrina could retrieve the car, and she showed up there. Unfortunately, while he was apologizing to her, his other girlfriend poured bleach mixed with lye on her face.

DeAndre Hopkins’ mother was taken to a nearby gas station, where they poured water on her face to try to clean the chemicals off. In the meantime, Sabrina slipped in and out of consciousness.

After a while, she noticed that her boyfriend had left her there alone, and she wondered if he left her for dead.

Sabrina Greenlee was taken to a burn center in Augusta, Georgia, and was put in a medically induced coma. Weeks later, she woke up.

Doctors did their best with her face, using skin from her chest and back to repair her face. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do with her eyes as she was left blind.

SABRINA GREENLEE FOUGHT DEPRESSION

Sabrina returned home, shocking DeAndre and his younger sister, Shanterria, with her appearance. Although she eventually learned how to move around and do basic chores, she would rarely leave her bedroom. Instead, she would drink heavily due to her depression.

Since she could no longer work at the automotive plant, Sabrina started selling drugs. Although she now realizes it was “the worst thing” she could have done, she used to see it as a way to provide for her kids.

Her story will be told in a film produced by Bron Studios.

Sabrina Greenlee’s attacker, Savannah Grant, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for assault and battery with intent to kill. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, was not charged.

The incident affected Sabrina’s life, both physically and emotionally, but fortunately, she managed to overcome her depressive thoughts and even became a motivational speaker and advocate against domestic violence.

SABRINA GREENLEE BECAME A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

In different conferences at schools, colleges, and summits, Sabrina retells her story and emphasizes how she found strength in the middle of her tragic situation. She once said:

“Sixteen years later, after 20 to 30 surgeries on each eye, I realized that I am beautiful. I have a voice. I am more powerful, more courageous, more bold than ever” [sic].

The fact that DeAndre made it to the NFL probably served as an extra source of motivation for her. Nowadays, she and her daughters are frequently seen in the stands, rooting for the NFL star.

Apart from that, Sabrina founded SMOOOTH Inc., an organization focused on eliminating domestic violence and oppression by changing the beliefs and institutions that encourage violence.

In April 2019, Sabrina Greenlee and DeAndre Hopkins made headlines after it was revealed that her story would be told in a film produced by Bron Studios. It is still unclear when that movie will hit theaters.