Laura Rigney, mother of Tristan Leigh

2023-11-16

When Laura Rigney learned her son was probably going to be good enough at football to play in college, she began making plans to move with him wherever he ended up. So in 2021 when Leigh left for Clemson, Laura sold their home in Fairfax, Va., and took the family with him. Leigh, a third-year sophomore who starts at left tackle for the Tigers, chooses to live at the family home 20 minutes from campus near Lake Hartwell. Beyond the football field, Leigh is far from the typical jock. He has a soft...

When Laura Rigney learned her son was probably going to be good enough at football to play in college, she began making plans to move with him wherever he ended up.

So in 2021 when Leigh left for Clemson, Laura sold their home in Fairfax, Va., and took the family with him.

Leigh, a third-year sophomore who starts at left tackle for the Tigers, chooses to live at the family home 20 minutes from campus near Lake Hartwell.

Beyond the football field, Leigh is far from the typical jock. He has a soft spot in his heart for people with disabilities, or kids who aren't popular.

"Growing up, he would always find the person sitting alone in the classroom and befriend them," his mother said.

Included was Zoe, a special-needs student Tristan protected in high school.

“If you have the power to change the culture in school or in a group, you gotta use that,” Tristan told Jon Blau of The Post and Courier. “That’s where I saw that opportunity. I saw them picking on her, I’m like, ‘I can shut this down right now.’ It’s what we should all do.’”

It's those moments that make Tristan's mother the proudest. Whatever her son goes on to achieve on the football field, it won't match the loving and empathetic soul he's become off it.

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