All About Malik Nabers' Mom, Tonya Nabers

Wide receiver Malik Nabers of LSU, who's expected to be a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25, is the son of Tonya Nabers

Meet the mom who raised star athlete Malik Nabers.

The LSU wide receiver, who is expected to be selected early in the first round at the 2024 NFL Draft, is the son of Tonya Nabers.

Nabers has been one to watch since his freshman season at LSU in 2021. He returned as a starter in 2022, was named a unanimous All-American in 2023 and declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after the season.

"I'm trying to figure out where the time went! It just moves so quickly," Tonya said in an interview with Louisiana vs. All Ya'll. "I feel like just yesterday I was giving him a hug when I brought him to school for the first time."

The standout Tigers receiver made history at the end of his collegiate run, finishing as LSU's all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,003 in total. "I'm just so proud of him and everything he's doing and everything he's done thus far," Tonya added of her son.

Now, Nabers stands alongside receivers like Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and Washington's Rome Odunze as exciting prospects in this year's draft class expected to be selected within the top 10 in the first round. ESPN deemed Nabers "one of the best wide receivers in the 2024 NFL draft class."

"I'm truly happy for him," Tonya told the LSU Odyssey. "Every day I have to pinch myself sometimes and say, 'My goodness, that's my son!'" she continued. "I knew the qualities that he had, but to actually see it on display and for the world to see, it's amazing."

While little information has been made public about his dad, read on to learn more about Malik Naber's mom Tonya.

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She saw Malik's athletic talents at an early age

Tonya knew Nabers had something special "early on," having been involved in athletics at a young age. However, she "didn't know" which sport — football, basketball or baseball — he'd want to pursue since he was "really, really good" at all three.

When speaking with Louisiana vs. All Ya'llin September 2023, Tonya said she knew Nabers "had the potential in him" at around nine or 10 years old — but it was at age eight he knew, himself, that he would play football professionally.

"He said, 'Mama, I'm going to play in the NFL one day.'" Tonya recalled her conversation with a young Nabers. "And I said, 'You going to do what it takes to get there? Because it's not going to be easy...' and he said, 'Yes ma'am.'"

Tonya listened to her son's dreams, telling him: "'Alright! I'll do whatever I can to support you.'" She added, "And now, we're here."

She attends as many of Malik's games as possible

Tonya is there for her son both on and off the field. Undoubtedly Nabers' No. 1 fan, she toldLouisiana vs. All Ya'llthat she strives to attend "as many of his games as possible."

And while she's there, Tonya is "very observant" while watching her son in action on the field. "I am totally focused on number eight when he's playing," she told LSU Odyssey at the end of the 2023 football season.

"I feel like I don't see any other player because I'm a nervous parent so I'm watching his movement," Tonya explained. "I'm watching his body language, I can tell if he's hurting... I just notice everything."

Related: All About Rome Odunze's Parents, Necia Bunnell and James Odunze

She says LSU felt 'like home'

Since Nabers started his freshman season at LSU in 2021, Tonya knew it was the right decision. "I just know it felt like home from the beginning for us," she told Louisiana vs. All Ya'll in September 2023.

Tonya recalled "everybody" in the LSU community getting along, describing the atmosphere as "second to none." She added, "I don't think any parent would understand until their child is actually there."

She says Malik has 'always been a leader'

Nabers' athletic abilities have been recognized by many, but his character hasn't been overlooked either. "He's always been a leader," Tonya told Louisiana vs. All Ya'll in a 2023 interview, "both on and off the field."

Throughout his years at LSU, the receiver has taken younger players "under his wing" as they got situated on the team. "It just speaks for his character," Tonya added of her son. "That's how I raised him, to help others and to be that role model."

While she noted that Nabers' leadership quality "doesn't come as a surprise" to her, she said "it's very good to see and hear a lot of people are able to see that side of him" as well. "It's great," she added.

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Her nephew is Jordan Allen

Football runs in the family. Tonya's nephew, Jordan Allen, is an LSU safety.

Nabers and Allen are cousins and former teammates, but Tonya considers them brothers, too. "I'll never forget Jordan had told me one time that Malik is the brother that he always wanted," she told the Lafayette Daily Advertiser in October 2022.

The athletic duo grew up together, from playing sports in their backyard to constant sleepovers at each other's houses. However, seven-on-seven football was the only organized sport they played together since they attended different high schools.

"If you would have been able to be in the room when Jordan decided to go to LSU, I think I was the loudest one in the room," Tonya told the outlet. "I screamed at the top of my lungs because it was finally that time ... for both of them to not just take that dream to the next level, but take it there together."

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