AUBURN, Ala. – His grandmother's words inspire Brodarious Hamm to persevere, no matter the obstacle.
God gives his toughest battles to His strongest warriors, she told him.
Brodarious Hamm knows about tough battles. He survived cancer as a teenager, only to experience an even more devastating loss, the death of his son, Karter, in February.
Through it all, he became Auburn's starting right tackle, inspiring teammates with his fortitude.
Before Auburn's final home game Saturday, Hamm received the James Owens Courage Award, presented annually to a current or former Tiger football player who has displayed courage in the face of adversity, distinguishing himself while contributing to the betterment of Auburn University,
"It meant a lot to me," Hamm said. "I'm very thankful for Auburn University picking me to receive the award. I'm just thankful that my coaches and my peers see me in that way. That's how I try to carry myself. "
"He's a wonderful human being who's faced major adversity whether it's been cancer when he first got here, or losing his child, which was unbelievably hard," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "For him to battle – he's one of our starters, he's one of our leaders, he's respected by every one of his teammates. I can't say enough good things about Brodarious Hamm and how deserving he is of this award."
Auburn team chaplain Rev. Chette Williams officiated the memorial service for 3-month-old Karter Hamm, who passed away unexpectedly in February.
"I love Brodarious tremendously and his family is so sweet," said Williams, the 2018 recipient of the James Owens Courage Award. "During the tragedy, we got really close.
"It's been tremendous for me to watch his matriculation from when he first got here, knowing he couldn't even go out on the field. To see his fortitude in continuing on and not giving up, that's courage in itself.
"Knowing it was going to take two years for him to even get on the field. On top of that, for him to do the rehab, the physical work on and off the field. He was just amazing. I've never seen anything like it, plus going through radiation treatments and then coming out here.
"On top of that, last year for the tragedy to hit his family and for him to bounce back the way he has and now become one of the premier tackles in the SEC, it's a huge, huge accomplishment, not only for him but for his wife and his family."
Diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma two weeks after signing with Auburn in 2016, Brodarious credits his faith and his wife, Kayla, for helping him endure.
"We're strong together," he said. "She was there for me and I'm there for her, still to this day. We pick each other up. She was there through everything, chemo, then our son passing. She's a strong woman. I'm thankful that God put her in my life.
"I'm a big family guy. I give all thanks to God. Through my faith, my grandma, she's always told me to put God first in everything you do, and He'll never let you down."
Brodarious and Kayla welcomed daughter Kalani Grace on Nov. 29, bringing anew to their home the joy the Hamms felt last year when Karter was born.
"He opened my eyes to a lot," Hamm said. "You wouldn't think you could love a person so much to bend over backwards for him. Even though he wasn't here that long, I just felt different."
Brodarious Hamm learned of the courage of James Owens, Auburn's first Black football player, from his friend and teammate James Owens Moss, the grandson of James Owens.
Like the namesake of the award he received, Brodarious encourages others to press on.
"I want to tell people to never give up," Hamm said. "Keep believing and chasing your dreams. God has a plan for everyone."
Brodarious Hamm earned Auburn's starting right tackle position in 2020
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer