The football running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been making his mark in the National Football League (NFL). Following a successful high school and collegiate career, Gibbs was the Detroit Lions‘ first-round pick in the 2023 draft. While his birth parents were out of the picture, his adoptive parents Dusty and Greg Ross stepped up to make him who he is today.
If you are interested in learning about the football star’s parents, along with his family and upbringing, you have come to the right place.
Jahmyr Gibbs’ Grandmother Stepped Up After His Father And Mother Abandoned Him
Gibbs was born on March 20, 2002, in Dalton, Georgia, to his biological parents Neka Willis and Tony Gibbs. Unfortunately, things were not good between the pair and they couldn’t figure out how to raise their son. That was when Gibbs’ grandmother, Angela Willis stepped in and took care of him all alone.
Angela took Gibbs’ legal guardianship when he was 13. However, they have been together on this journey way before that. The NFL star’s grandmother wasn’t stable financially and around 2010, Gibbs and his grandma lived in a local shelter where Family Promise, a non-profit organization, supported them.
Having her own hardships, she had to become Jahmyr’s guardian. Nonetheless, Angela did everything she could to make his life better. Talking about the situation, she told the Dalton Daily Citizen,
I’m his grandma, I’m not his mama or his daddy. Jah came from a broken home, so I always wanted him to be around good people and to know that every home isn’t a broken home. (sic)
Furthermore, Willis always believed in him, and by living up to that trust, Jahmyr worked day and night to become a renowned football talent in the nation.
Jahmyr Gibbs’ Birth Mother, Neka Willis Is a Barbadian
The NFL star’s mom, Neka is from Bridgetown, Barbados. Like her son, she also went to the Dalton High School. According to her Facebook, she studied in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, from 2001 to 2004. She played softball in high school and hence became the first African American to play fast-pitch softball for her high school.
Neka Willis is very proud of her kid. Gibbs is not the only kid of Willis, rather she has two daughters from her other relationship according to her X (formerly Twitter) bio. At present, Neka lives in Memphis, Tennessee, and is in a relationship, but unfortunately, her partner’s identity is not revealed as of yet.
Meet Jahmyr Gibbs’ Biological Father
Jahmyr’s biological dad, Anthony Gibbs Jr. is from Columbus, Georgia. He attended the Carver High School from 1992 to 1996. Mr. Gibbs is an army man and was a Sergeant in the US Army from January 12, 1997, to April 20, 2005, according to his Facebook profile.
Besides, Jahmyr’s old man is quite fond of cars. His Facebook profile is full of them. Just like Neka, he has also moved on and has his own family now.
Jahmyr Gibbs’s Relationship With His Birth Parents
The running back has never talked anything about his birth parents in public. However, we know for a fact that Neka was there when Gibbs signed his football scholarship with Georgia Tech. Additionally, both Neka and Tony post a lot about their son on social media sharing how proud they are of their kid. Neka once even defended her kid publicly.
Back in October 2020, Georgia Tech Football made a post saying Gibbs was on the FWAA Freshman All-America watch list for which many football fans congratulated him. One user commented saying Jahmyr was one of the best running backs he had seen in years. He also added that the athlete had the potential to win a Heisman Trophy. Another user replied to the comment, writing “Really?”
Well, Neka, being a defensive mother, couldn’t take that. And she replied to the comment, which you can read below.
The one love reaction you can see is from Jahmyr’s old man, Anthony. Not just Neka, Tony also posts a lot of snaps of their son on his Facebook. Unfortunately, none of them are friends with Jahmyr on Facebook, and the player has not talked about his father and mother openly. So, nothing can be said about the player’s relationship with his biological parents at present.
Dusty And Greg Ross: Jahmyr Gibbs’ Adoptive Parents
As we said earlier, Jahmyr’s grandmother wasn’t financially stable and she had no one to support her. So, Jahmyr had to move home to home for a shelter as a kid. At one point, he and his grandmother were taking shelter at Family Promise, a non-profit organization that provides shelter for homeless people.
It was there Gibbs met his adoptive parents Dusty and Greg Ross. Dusty was volunteering at the organization at the time while her son, John used to go there. Gibbs and John connected soon and used to play for hours whenever the latter went there.
Gibbs shortly stayed with Dalton quarterback J.P. Tighe and his family before he moved in with the Rosses, whom he calls mom and dad. According to The Atlanta Journal, Gibbs started living with the Rosses in 2017. Dusty and Greg’s son, John also played football, and the two young kids went to Georgia Tech. together.
While John couldn’t progress well as a footballer, Gibbs was a stand-out as we all know.
Talking about Gibbs’ adoptive parents, Dusty and Greg have been together for over two decades, precisely, since June 26, 1999. Besides John and Gibbs, the husband and wife have two more children: Max, and Ahamaad Tanner.
His Grandma And Adoptive Parents Are Always There For Him
Even after Gibbs started living with the Rosses, Jahmyr’s grandma, Angela, didn’t stop looking after him. Well, the athlete is possibly looking after her now. During his draft, Greg and Dusty were there alongside his grandmother to celebrate that feat with him.
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They are also always there to watch his games. Dusty shares Gibbs’ achievements proudly on her social media. The football star has perfectly fit in with the family and spends a lot of quality time together. Despite his difficult childhood, he rarely talks about it but says he wouldn’t change a thing because of how everything has turned out.
At present, Dusty and Greg, along with Gibbs’ family, live in Dalton, GA.