Running back Najee Harris and his parents lived in homeless shelters while he was growing up. Harris’ mom, Tianna Hicks, raised five kids by herself after his father, Curt Harris, walked out on the family.
Harris, 36, and his mother, Tianna Hicks, were each other’s rock during the lowest points of their lives.
Things started changing for the family as Najee became a household name in High School football.
Harris played for Antioch High School, where he put up outstanding numbers. As a senior, Harris rushed for 2,776 yards and scored 34 touchdowns.
He became the unanimous no.1 college pick and chose Alabama as his next home. The five-star college recruit played all four college seasons with the Crimson Tide.
At Alabama, Harris became the leader for rushing scores, with 46, surpassing Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry, who each had 42.
As a senior, he totaled 3843 career rushing yards, ranking the top of Alabama’s all-time list.
Steelers picked Harris as the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Growing Up, Najee Harris and His Mother, Tianna Hicks, With His Siblings, Moved From One Shelter to Another!
As a teenager, Najee used to be embarrassed to say he lived in a homeless shelter.
Whenever Najee’s high school football coach, John Lucido, would offer to drop him off at his home, Najee would tell him to stop at a fast-food restaurant.
Lucido’s suspicion rose as he never saw Najee entering a house or an apartment.
One day, he asked Najee to show him his home, as he found it unsafe to drop the teenager at a random restaurant.
Coach Lucido found that Najee, his dad, Curt, his mom, Tianna, and four siblings lived in a single room at Motel 6.
Najee’s father, Curt Harris, was in and out of the family life for nearly 20 years.
Curt worked in construction, and Antioch High School principal Louie Rocha offered him a job on the crew building their new football stadium.
However, Najee’s dad never showed up at the job. He abandoned the family and moved back to his native Seattle.
Growing up, Najee saw the abuse his mom, Tianna, faced from his dad.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Najee talked about growing up in a broken family and living on the streets.
Tianna worked in the medical field and continues to work to date, as she did her best to raise five kids by herself.
For Najee, his mom was his hero. Speaking to the Steelers’ website, the running back said:
Words can’t describe how much strength she gave me. There were times when my dad would be doing his thing and my mom would be the one taking care of us, putting food on the table. She triedd giving up shelter.
via: Steelers
The family faced a string of evictions, with the times being that Tianna would have to sleep with her kids in the back of a car.
Tianna said she would tell Najee to spend a night at his friend’s house and play video games, but the future football star would refuse.
He would say if his mom sleeps in a car, he would, too. Today, Tianna and Najee have left behind those dark days but remain humble.
Najee and His Mom, Tianna Have Given Back to the Community That Raised Them During Times of Trouble!
After facing multiple evictions, Tianna and her kids stayed at the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP).
In an interview with ABC7, Hicks said GRIP was there for her and her five kids during their most challenging days.
She said GRIP gave her and her children a sense of normalcy while they went through difficult times by keeping them in school and a safe place to rest.
After Najee became the no.1 college prospect, the foundation media earned attention, and donations poured into the organization.
In 2021, Najee even hosted a Pre-Draft party at GRIP to celebrate his success with them.
During his interview, Najee said he was planning to buy GRIP another building so they could help families experiencing homelessness.
The football player has established Da’ Bigger Picture Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on assisting families in need to reach their highest potential and goals.
On her Instagram bio, Tianna has mentioned being the Vice President of Da’ Bigger Foundation.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Najee Harris’ father, Curt Harris, played football at Grambling University.
- Najee has three older brothers, Malachi, Curtis Harris Jr., and Fela. He also has a sister named Jahmila Harris.
