At 16, Tameria Jones Gave Up Basketball Dreams for Midnight Feedings – Today Her Son Pays Tribute to the Sacrifice That Anchored His Rise
“Her love never let me fall.” Those five words from Fox News host Lawrence Jones III, delivered in a tearful Instagram tribute that has already reached 12 million views, have unveiled the deeply personal story of how a teenage mother from Garland, Texas, single-handedly built one of cable news’ fastest-rising stars. At just 16, Tameria Jones traded the roar of the basketball court for midnight feedings and swapped textbooks for baby bottles – a single choice that reshaped not only her future, but her son’s as well. Today, the 33-year-old co-host of Fox & Friends is opening up about the woman who raised him, paying tribute to the sacrifice and strength that still anchor him every day.
Tameria became pregnant with Lawrence at 15 while a junior at Garland High School, where she was a standout point guard with college scholarship offers. “I was supposed to be the first in my family to go to college on a full ride,” she told People in a rare joint interview. “But when I saw that little heartbeat on the screen, everything changed. Basketball could wait. He couldn’t.” She gave birth in August 1992, graduated early, and worked double shifts at Walmart and a local diner to keep diapers on the table and lights on in their one-bedroom apartment.
Lawrence grew up watching his mother study for night classes while he did homework on the floor. “She never complained,” he said. “She’d come home exhausted, cook spaghetti with just sauce some nights, and still help me with spelling words.” By 12, Lawrence was delivering newspapers before school to contribute. “Mom taught me pride wasn’t about what you have – it was about what you do with what you’re given.”
The turning point came when Tameria enrolled at Mountain View College, earning her associate’s degree in criminal justice while working full-time. She later became a correctional officer, a job she held for 18 years. “I wanted him to see a Black woman could wear a badge and command respect,” she said. That example fueled Lawrence’s own path: from student body president to Fox News contributor at 26, now co-hosting the network’s top-rated morning show.
The tribute, posted Sunday, shows never-before-seen home videos: Tameria pushing toddler Lawrence on a swing, teaching him to read at the kitchen table, cheering at his high school graduation. “Every milestone I hit, she was there – no plus-one, just us,” Lawrence wrote. “She never let me feel fatherless. She was both parents, best friend, and hero.”
Tameria, now 49 and retired, wiped tears watching the video. “He turned out better than I ever dreamed,” she said. “All those sacrifices? Worth every second.”
Lawrence’s raw honesty has struck a chord. #ThankYouTameria trended with 2.1 million posts, fans sharing their own single-mom stories. “This is why representation matters,” one wrote. “A teen mom raised a king.”
From a Garland apartment to Fox News studios, Lawrence Jones carries his mother’s love in every broadcast – proof that the strongest foundations are built with sacrifice, not silver spoons.
