the nfl. >> my mom, she was crazy excited. i mean, it was everything that i ever hoped for. it was everything i wanted, you know? >> and then, overnight, mike lost his biggest fan. his mom died in a car accident during the holidays of his sophomore year. mike's wife aubrey first met him not long after that accident. >> for him to be all right and mentally deal with this he was going to lean on football. >> the funeral was new year's eve 2010. >> here's the pass. left side. michael james. >> the same day as one of mike's biggest collegiate games, the sun bowl. an excruciating decision. >> i was going to do the thing that made both of us happy. play ball. you know? >> she would have wanted you to be at that game. >> yeah. my mom -- i know my mom. you know? >> driven by grief, mike became