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On eve of NFL Draft, Laremy Tunsil's mom says Ole Miss "was the right move"

Desiree Tunsil Polingo and her son, former Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, pose with the Kent Hull Trophy, awarded annually to the top college offensive lineman in Mississippi. Tunsil is expected to be one of the first five players selected when the NFL Draft begins Thursday in Chicago.
Desiree Tunsil Polingo and her son, former Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, pose with the Kent Hull Trophy, awarded annually to the top college offensive lineman in Mississippi. Tunsil is expected to be one of the first five players selected when the NFL Draft begins Thursday in Chicago.
Courtesy of Desiree Tunsil Polingo

CHICAGO -- Desiree Tunsil Polingo always knew her son was talented.

However, it wasn’t until his freshman season at Ole Miss, when Laremy Tunsil dominated Southeastern Conference defensive line, did she entertain the idea that his NFL dreams would one day come true.

“He went through the season with just one sack and I was like, ‘Wow,’” Polingo said. “Then he went through the next season and I was thinking, ‘Hey, he’s doing well.’ It was then that I started thinking he could be really be good at it.”

Tunsil will be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday. He could go as high as No. 3 to the San Diego Chargers or as low as No. 6 to the Baltimore Ravens. Several teams, most notably the Tennessee Titans, are rumored to be angling to move into the top five if the Chargers pass on Tunsil and select another player, likely Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“It’s all a blessing just to have the opportunity to go,” Polingo said. “I know I’m going to cry. I’ve said I’m not going to cry, but I’ll probably cry tears of joy, just that through everything that he’s gone through, he’s here and by the grace of God, he made it and he’s still humble and he’s still that same outgoing, friendly guy.”

Not surprisingly, Polingo is more proud of her son for his character than she is for his football exploits. Specifically, she beams when she talks about the work he put in after suffering a broken leg in Ole Miss’ Peach Bowl loss to TCU on Dec. 31, 2014, and for the way he handled a trying junior season, one that saw him miss the first seven games of the season after he received improper benefits last summer.

“It was horrible,” Polingo said, referring to the Peach Bowl. “The whole game was horrible. It was like, ‘This is the worst bowl game ever.’ It was horrible. Even then, he stayed focused. He said, ‘I’ll be back. I’ll be better.’ And he worked at it. He did everything they told him to do. It was difficult but I knew he could do it. He had the mindset to be the best.”

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Former Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil works with Chicago-area youth Wednesday morning in Grant Park in Chicago. Tunsil was participating as part of the NFL's Play 60 program.
Former Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil works with Chicago-area youth Wednesday morning in Grant Park in Chicago. Tunsil was participating as part of the NFL's Play 60 program.
Josh McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

Tunsil was ready to play by August. However, he was in the headlines for his role in an altercation with his stepfather, Lindsey Miller (Miller filed a civil suit against Tunsil Wednesday, claiming defamation of character and seeking alleged financial damages).

“We’ve always been close,” Polingo said. “It didn’t change our relationship. All of that just made us stronger together. We went through it together. We prayed about everything, humbled ourselves and we knew what people say about you in that situation doesn’t matter. We knew it was just somebody out to do harm, so you just stay focused. What God has planned for you, no one can destroy. We knew that the truth would come out.”

Tunsil returned for Ole Miss’ eighth game and finished the season strong, even catching a touchdown pass from Chad Kelly in the Rebels’ rout of Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, a victory that ensured a 10-win season and a top-10 ranking.

That game, combined with his status as a likely top-five selection Thursday, validated Tunsil’s decision to choose Ole Miss in 2013. The former five-star prospect from Lake City, Fla., chose the Rebels over Georgia, Alabama and others, hurting feelings and spawning venom from spurned fan bases in the process.

“It was the right move,” Polingo said. “Even though people criticized it, it was the right move. (Ole Miss) Coach (Hugh) Freeze is awesome. He’s an awesome person. There was no pressure. He said he was building something. He told us about the program and everything. Laremy could have gone anywhere but for me, I thought, ‘If you have an opportunity like that, you don’t have to stay in Florida or near home. Go off to college and enjoy college.’ You don’t have many opportunities to go off and go to school where you want to go.

“Coming to Ole Miss, I just had that feeling it was the place. I’m happy. I never thought it would be such an awesome experience where the coaches are great, the players are great and the fans are great. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

After Thursday’s festivities, Polingo said the focus will shift to the next step in Tunsil’s career. Her son’s goals for the NFL, she said, are already set.

“He wants to be the best player ever,” Polingo said. “He sets his goals pretty high.”

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