Dad died early, mom collapsed suddenly—Joshua worked five times harder just to reach the NFL

At just two years old, Joshua Farmer’s father died from complications during surgery. His mother, Pauline, raised him and his sister alone in Port Saint Joe, Florida. She worked tirelessly to provide stability. But when Joshua turned 11, tragedy struck again.

Pauline collapsed in their home from a brain aneurysm. Joshua and his sister tried to get her help—but she passed before they reached the hospital.

Two orphans. One grandmother. No roadmap.

Joshua moved in with his grandmother, Ruby Lee. She was tough. She had to be. She taught him discipline, faith, and the power of resilience.

From then on, Joshua believed he had to work five times harder than anyone else. No parents to call after practice. No guidance from a father figure. No rides to recruiting camps. Every step forward, he had to take alone.

He’d wake up at 5 a.m. to train before school. Stay late to do extra drills. When others partied, he studied film. He believed that if he didn’t outwork everyone, he’d fall behind—and if he fell, no one was coming to catch him.

Despite the obstacles, he earned a spot at Florida State. There, he continued to grind, eventually earning all-conference honors and team leadership awards.

And when Draft Day came, the New England Patriots saw what the rest of the world missed—a warrior in pads.

Joshua Farmer didn’t just reach the NFL. He fought his way in—through loss, loneliness, and every closed door life threw at him.