LUKE O'Nien set a 5am alarm on Sunday to drive to West Brom and play a starring role for Sunderland in the crucial Championship win - less than 24 hours after his wife gave birth.
Mowbray hailed "amazing" O'Nien, who was adamant he wanted to play despite spending the early part of the weekend at his wife's side in hospital and having his newborn back home for the first time on Saturday night.
O'Nien travelled on his own on Sunday, linked up with the squad in the team hotel and then put in a fine display at the heart of the defence as the Black Cats came from behind to win 2-1 and climb into the top six of the Championship.
Mowbray said: "O'Nien, I say it all the time, is an amazing human being. He's a unique footballer.
"I haven't come across too many like him, who sets up his own businesses, has his own podcast, talks about developing young people into leaders.
"He's having discussions with me talking about pre-season and saying 'what are the non-negotiables going to be gaffer' and I'm thinking Luke, you just concentrate on passing it to us and winning a few headers!
"But it's amazing for him and his family. He left at half-five on Sunday morning, got here for half eight, had breakfast with the team and played. It was his first night with the new baby in the house.
"He's a really impressive human being and I would never have any fears about him. Whatever he chooses to do in his life after football he'll be a success because he's a driven guy. I had no fears about him turning up and putting in a performance.
"Great credit to him, less than a day after his child's born he's right out there in the middle of it, it's amazing."
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O'Nien was harshly adjudged to have fouled John Swift when West Brom were awarded a penalty in first half stoppage time at the Hawthorns but was immense in the second half as Sunderland kept the hosts out and struck two goals through Dennis Cirkin
Mowbray said: "I thought it was a really soft penalty. I didn't see a lot of contact until the boy was on the floor, but great that we could recover and get the three points and be in with a shout with eight, nine, 10 other teams."
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