She’s a supportive grandmother battling cancer, who never misses a Carroll Tiger football game. But this time, it was the team cheering her on.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — High school football in South Texas may be over for the season, but one moment from a Corpus Christi ISD matchup is still making headlines and touching hearts far beyond the Coastal Bend.

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The moment happened during the Carroll vs. Ray JV football game on October 30 and has since caught the attention of ESPN’s SportsCenter, quickly spreading online.

At the center of it all is Tammy Nichols, also known as, “Mimi.”

Nichols is a Mary Carroll High School alum herself and a devoted fan who never misses a Tiger football game. She’s also a grandmother currently battling cancer for the third time.

After the October game, Tammy’s grandson Caedyn, his teammates, and their coach came together with a plan to surprise Nichols – each player presenting her with a rose to thank her for her unwavering support and to show they are cheering her on through her fight.

Nichols says the moment completely caught her off guard.

“Total surprise! I had no idea! I saw them with the flowers and I thought they were coming to give them to their mothers,” said Nichols. 

For Caedyn, the surprise was deeply personal and meaningful for the entire team.

“They [the team] were together with me,” he said. “They understood what was going on.”

Nichols says supporting her grandson has always been second nature.

“I’ve just always gone to all of his sports games – always have! I love seeing him play and supporting him!”

Caedyn said the team wanted to make sure his grandmother felt how much she means to them.

“I really love my Mimi – it would have brought her a lot of joy and make her feel special on the inside and as a team we have a lot of bonding together so it really nice for all of us to get together and do it for her.” 

Carroll co-defensive coordinator, Coach Ryan Ben-David, says the moment reflected something far bigger than football.

“It goes to show the character of our kids in the program they were all about it,” said Coach Ben-David. “Even though the game didn’t go how we wanted it, they were all about it. It was something bigger than the game.”

Ben-David says lessons like this are exactly what he hopes players take with them beyond the field.

“It does become a brotherhood and that’s what we want and for them to learn that and to learn that it is more than just a game, and that this stuff will carry you on through life.” 

The video of the surprise was recently shared by SportsCenter online, bringing national attention to the touching moment. Nichols says even now, watching it back still feels surreal.

“Those boys don’t realize what that meant to me,’ Nichols said. “Seeing their smiles, their encouraging words their hugs… I’ll never forget it.”

Nichols has an appointment this Friday at MD Anderson as she continues her cancer treatment.

As her story spreads across the country, one thing is clear: she’s gained a whole new team of supporters, prayer warriors, and well-wishers cheering her on every step of the way.

Originally, the video was uploaded to Instagram via the MCHS Carroll Tiger Football account. You can view it here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSvT8ctj0xR/?igsh=OXBydnVwYWM3cWU3

The roses in the video were purchased at a local flower shop, Rose Soiree, who was excited to join in on the special surprise, even dying some of the carnations a Carroll Tiger blue. 

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