In a gut-wrenching moment that has rocked the Alabama football program to its core, backup quarterback and former five-star recruit Ty Simpson is facing every child’s worst nightmare: his mother, Amanda Simpson, has been diagnosed with stage IV glioblastoma – an aggressive, inoperable brain cancer – just days after collapsing at the family’s home in Martin, Tennessee.
The 21-year-old signal-caller, who has patiently waited behind Jalen Milroe the past two seasons and was projected to compete for the starting job in 2026, received the life-altering call last Tuesday while reviewing bowl-practice film. Doctors at UAB Hospital delivered the crushing prognosis: 12–18 months with treatment. Amanda, 49, a beloved elementary school teacher and the heartbeat of the Simpson family, had been complaining of headaches and vision issues for weeks but chalked it up to stress from watching her son navigate the unrelenting Alabama spotlight.
Sources inside the program told Cebit News the news spread like wildfire through the Mal Moore Athletic Facility. Players openly wept in the locker room. Position coaches canceled meetings. And then came the moment that instantly became the most viewed clip in college football this year.
The Press Conference Nobody Will Ever Forget
First-year head coach Kalen DeBoer – the stoic Washington transplant who guided Alabama to an 11-2 season and a Playoff quarterfinal berth – stepped to the podium Wednesday for what was supposed to be a routine Peach Bowl media availability.
He never made it past the first question.
Visibly shaken, voice trembling, DeBoer gripped the lectern and let the tears flow in real time.
“Ty’s mom… Amanda… she’s… she’s got brain cancer,” he managed, pausing as sobs overtook him. “Stage IV. They can’t operate. And I’m standing here talking about matchups and schemes and it feels so damn small right now.”
For nearly eight minutes, cameras rolled as DeBoer – the same man who stared down Michigan in the national title game last January – broke down completely. He recounted driving to the Simpson home at 3 a.m. after getting the call, hugging Ty’s father Jason on the front porch while Amanda, still groggy from emergency surgery, cracked weak jokes about finally getting to “rest during a Bama offseason.”
“I told Ty, ‘You take every minute you need. Football can wait. Forever if it has to,’” DeBoer said, wiping his face with an Alabama towel that quickly became soaked. “This program… we talk about family. Well, Amanda Simpson IS family. She’s been to every practice, every scrimmage, every 6 a.m. workout since Ty was 14. She’s the one who texts me after losses telling me she’s proud anyway. And now… hell, I can’t even say it.”
He didn’t have to. The clip exploded across social media, surpassing 12 million views in 24 hours. #PrayForAmanda trended No. 1 worldwide. Nick Saban, in his first public comment since retirement, posted a simple black-and-white photo of Amanda hugging Ty after the 2022 Iron Bowl with the caption: “Roll Tears. We love you, Amanda.”
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