Amarius Mims bought his mom a house. She still tears up about it

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Amarius Mims bought his mom a house. She still tears up about it

Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer · The Enquirer

Wed, November 4, 2026 at 5:30 AM UTC ·

2 min read

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Have you watched the Cincinnati Bengals over the last three years and ever thought to yourself what Amarius Mims was like growing up? Given his imposing size at 6-foot-8, was he always destined to be an NFL offensive lineman?

Nikki Mims, mother of Bengals offensive lineman Amarius Mims, is featured in episode three of The Enquirer's special-edition podcast series "Beyond Sunday" spotlighting five moms of Bengals players. Nikki discusses getting her son into football at age five, when she knew he was destined for success, watching him play at Georgia, and watching her son go from being a first-round draft pick to one of the NFL's best offensive linemen.

The podcast series will publish on Cincinnati.com every Wednesday morning from Oct. 21 to Nov. 18.

Robin Burrow, mother of quarterback Joe Burrow, was featured on episode one and Donyale Turner, mother of Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II was featured on episode two . Lady Higgins, mother of Tee Higgins, will join the show later in the season.

Here are some of the highlights from the conversation with Nikki Mims:

Nikki said when Amarius was 10 years old that's when she realized her son possessed rare size. He was much bigger than all of his teammates and because of it, he had dreams of what he could do with his football career.
Amarius attended Bleckley County High School in Cochran, Georgia where his career took off. Nikki said her son got at least 35 offers to play in college. Ultimately, Amarius decided to stay in state and attend the University of Georgia.
While at Georgia, Amarius bought his mom a new house for her to live in. It was a special moment for the Mims family. "I always get teary. Just an awesome kid." It was a day Nikki will always remember.
Despite all Amarius has achieved in his life, Nikki is the proudest of the person he is. "His heart is so big, not just towards me, to everybody."
Nikki talks about what she likes to do with Amarius when he's not playing football, including cooking, hanging out and shopping.