TRENTON, Nj - The City of Trenton is getting behind hometown player, Ji’Ayir Brown of the San Francisco 49ers this Super Bowl Sunday.
Known as Tig by close family and friends, the 24-year-old is a 2018 graduate of Trenton Central High School.
FOX 29's Jennifer Lee met his mother Joy Ingram and former Athletic Trainer David Poppy Sanderson ahead of the game.
San Francisco 49ers' Ji’Ayir Brown's mother, Joy Ingram.
"It’s the pride of just watching your kid live out what he wanted to always do," said Ingram. "This whole town is 49ers fans right now. They’re all supporting Tig. Tig got the whole town behind him. They’re all rooting for the 49ers and they’re rooting for him."
San Francisco 49ers' Ji’Ayir Brown's former Atheltic Trainer David "Poppy" Sanderson.
"I’m right in Tigs’s back pocket, let’s go!" said Poppy. "I’m very proud of him. You couldn’t write a better story than what’s going on with him right now being a rookie. "The Eagles bypassed him. I thought the Eagles were going to take him in a pick, but they didn’t take him."
Instead, it was Brown’s destiny to be drafted by the 49ers in the third round last year. Before the NFL, Brown played football at Penn State and Lackawanna College.
In high school, he played varsity football and basketball.
Ingram said she tried to plan out both of her son’s futures, but at just 16-years-old Brown had his own ambitions.
"Y’all can play around until you’re about 25 I said, but by 25 y’all should be set in your career. I said I want y’all to go into law enforcement," said the mom. "Tig was like I ain’t doing that, I was like what you mean you ain’t, he was like I’m going to the NFL."
Poppy is a legend at Trenton Central with 50 years under his belt as the athletic trainer.
He said Tig displayed leadership skills in high school and always stayed late in the weight room.
His pictures are all around the athletic training room, serving as inspiration now for the younger generations to come.
"That’s why I had pictures on the wall all the time so they can say hey, I could do this," said Poppy.
Tig now gives back to young athletes by running a summer camp called Education Outweighs Them All at Trenton Central High School.
Ingram said this moment feels like a dream she doesn’t want to wake up from. Her family will travel to Las Vegas on Wednesday for the big game.
"All that he achieved in one year to go to the NFL, and it’s going to be the regular people, me my son, his girlfriend. You know my nephews and nieces. It’s going to be fun.
"Big-time players, Hall of Famers never get to that big dance and he’s there in his first year and it’d be remarkable if he comes home with that ring," said Poppy.