First-Round Draft Pick Akheem Mesidor's Mom Worked 3 Jobs and Warmed Home With Candles

When Akheem Mesidor's name was called in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night, he turned and found his mother.

The long embrace between Mesidor and Carole Richard - the woman who worked three jobs as a single mother so her son could chase a football dream that seemed impossibly far away - said everything about what this moment meant. It revealed the magnitude of every sacrifice. Every light that got shut off. Every meal they weren't sure was coming. Every candle they burned to keep warm.

Mesidor, who starred at defensive end for the University of Miami and led the Hurricanes with 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in his final season, was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round - a remarkable ascent for a player who once couldn't get a single scholarship offer and quit football to work at Domino's Pizza.

Akheem Mesidor's Mother Was a Single Mom of Five

Richard raised Mesidor and her four other children on her own, in Ottawa, Ontario. When Mesidor was young, a football coach spotted something in him and offered to train him at his program, Gridiron Academy - at a discounted rate because Richard couldn't afford the full cost.

His mother took on a third job so her son could go.

"I had to give him a chance to make it," Richard said.

The family struggled through years of financial hardship. Power outages were not uncommon. Food wasn't always guaranteed. They warmed their home with candles during some of the toughest stretches.

"We were poor," Richard said. "Sometimes the lights got cut out, and I didn't know where the next meal was coming from, but we always ended up managing. Sometimes I would have a neighbor out of the blue give me $20, and I have no clue why. I just believe in God. Looking back, I don't know how I did it."

Mesidor Walked Miles in the Snow to Get to Practice

The path to Thursday night was anything but straight. Mesidor once walked more than two miles through a snowstorm in Ottawa just to get to practice. When he arrived, he told his coach he hadn't eaten. There was no heat at home.

"Dream big," Tedondo told him that day. "You don't have to have a poor man's dream."

There were moments when Mesidor almost walked away entirely. After struggling to attract college offers while watching teammates land scholarships, he quit football and took a job at Domino's Pizza. Tedondo eventually tracked him down and talked him back. Mesidor returned with a fury - first at practice, last to leave, every single day.

The offers eventually came. He chose West Virginia, then transferred to Miami, where injuries threatened to derail everything. He tore ligaments in both feet in consecutive seasons. He battled depression. He told his mother he was "meant to play football" and couldn't stand being on the sidelines.

He came back both times.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:04 PM.