The NFL scouting combine has become the centerpiece of the most-watched job interview in the world.

More than a couple hundred players show up in Indianapolis every spring to go through drills, run the 40-yard dash and interview with teams. It’s the central event of a long and arduous pre-draft process for potential NFL draft picks. For the most part, only athletic testing and a few drills are available for public consumption.

But on Friday night, after dominating his on-field drills at the combine, former Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold showcased the kind of person he is.

In an interview with NFL Network’s Stacey Dales, Arnold spoke about his confidence, his leadership and, most notably, his mom.

“Mom, if you’re watching this right now, your son just wants to say how proud he is of you,” Arnold said. “You had me at a young age and you overcame a lot of adversity. People were doubting you, people were counting you out. And honestly mom, like I always tell you, ‘you raised a star’.

“I just want to say, Tamala Arnold, I love you. I mean, I’m right here, the whole world is watching and I’m blessed to have you as a mom. Like I said, you overcame a lot and with that being said, I’m going to continue to keep shining, just how you raised me to be. I’ll never forget where I came from: Tallahassee, Florida. It’s a hard place to make it out of. And everybody watching this back at home, I hope you’re proud of me.”

His comments about his mom begin at the 2:33 mark in the video below:

That statement should tell interested teams a lot more about Arnold than his athletic testing numbers (which were also quite good, for what that’s worth). Arnold was already projected to be the 1st cornerback in this draft — and this is beside the point — but I have to think teams will walk away from Friday night in Indy being impressed with the former Tide cornerback.

The humility. The love. The unabashed admiration.

It all stands out as front offices are coming through dozens of elite athletes, attempting to pick the right player to put their trust into. At the end of the day, who will stand up to the pressure? Who will inspire their teammates? Who can be counted on to make a difference?

During his time at Alabama, Arnold showed every reason to believe he can be an elite NFL cornerback. He left Tuscaloosa as a multi-year starter with 6 interceptions, 20 pass breakups and an SEC Championship on his résumé.

On Friday night, Arnold put his personality on display. He said he hoped friends and family back in Tallahassee are proud of him — and they have every reason to be. So do folks in Tuscaloosa, too. And I’d expect he’ll have one lucky NFL franchise beaming with pride before too much longer as well.

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