Football is family, the NFL says, and there’s actually more truth to that than you might realize. Consider, for a moment, one of the biggest storylines that just accompanied the last Super Bowl: The championship showdown between Jason and Travis Kelce. The Kelce brothers may be one of the more accomplished brotherly duos to ever take the NFL stage, but the league is rife with similar tales of siblings dominating the gridiron either together or separately — the Mannings, the Watts, the Matthews, and on and on.
Thanks to the 2023 NFL Draft, the league is also set to introduce the latest example of another form of familial football success: The father-son connection. Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. is widely considered one of the top cornerbacks of his class. But his NFL entry will simply further an existing legacy. His father, Joey Porter, was a five-time All-Pro linebacker for the Steelers, Dolphins and Cardinals, helping set the tone for Pittsburgh’s title-winning defense from 1999-2006.
Porter won’t be alone as an active NFL player following in the footsteps of a famous father. Here’s a look at some of the biggest names already boasting elite bloodlines:
The No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft, Horn logged three picks in his first extended season as the Panthers‘ top cover man in 2022. His dad, Joe Horn, was one of the most productive wide receivers in Saints history, logging four different 1,200-yard seasons between 2000-2004, and spending seven years total with New Orleans, earning a place in the franchise’s Hall of Fame.
Drafted one spot after Horn in 2021, Surtain is already considered one of the NFL’s premier corners at 22, totaling six picks and 24 pass deflections in two years as a leader of the Broncos defense. His dad, Patrick Surtain, played 11 seasons at the same position, logging 37 career picks as a three-time Pro Bowler with the Dolphins (1998-2004) and Chiefs (2005-2008).
A second-round pick of the Chargers in 2021, Samuel has been busy early in his career, totaling 22 pass deflections and four interceptions in two years. His dad, Asante Samuel, was one of the best ballhawks of all time, racking up 51 picks (32nd in NFL history) and two Super Bowl rings in a career headlined by stints with the Patriots (2003-2007) and Eagles (2008-2011).
A second-round pick out of USC in 2020, Pittman is the Colts‘ steadiest pass catcher with 2,510 receiving yards in his first three seasons. His dad, Michael Pittman, played 11 seasons at running back, most notably with the Cardinals (1998-2001) and Buccaneers (2002-2007), and he led Tampa Bay in rushing during the team’s 2002 Super Bowl run.
A tone-setter for the Buccaneers since arriving as a second-round pick in 2020, the same year he helped lead Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory, Winfield had a premier model for secondary play growing up. His dad, Antoine Winfield, was a three-time Pro Bowler as a mainstay of the Vikings, spending nine of his 14 NFL seasons in Minnesota as a respected starter.
Runyan, a sixth-round pick in 2020, has been Green Bay’s starting right guard for the last two seasons. His dad, Jon Runyan, is a vaunted member of the Eagles Hall of Fame, having spent nine years (2000-2008) as Donovan McNabb’s right tackle. The elder Runyan also earned an All-Pro nod during a four-year run with the Oilers/Titans (1996-1999) to start his career.
A 2019 second-rounder, Metcalf has used his imposing size to total 4,200 yards and 35 TDs in his first four seasons, starring as one of the Seahawks‘ top weapons. His dad, Terrence, came out of the same school, Ole Miss, and spent seven seasons as a guard for the Bears (2002-2008), appearing in all 16 games during Chicago’s 2006 Super Bowl bid.
A lucrative signing of the Bengals this offseason after five years with the Ravens and title-winning Chiefs, Brown is already a four-time Pro Bowler at left tackle. His dad, Orlando Brown Sr., made 119 starts playing right tackle across 10 seasons with the Browns and Ravens, drawing Comeback Player of the Year consideration in 2003 after a three-year hiatus from the game.
Drafted 16th overall out of Alabama in 2017, Humphrey has been one of the NFL’s better corners since his arrival, logging three Pro Bowl nods and 67 career pass deflections for the Ravens. His dad, Bobby Humphrey, was a star running back for the Crimson Tide before playing five NFL seasons with the Broncos and Dolphins, topping 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons.
The No. 8 overall pick by the Panthers in 2017, McCaffrey has battled injuries to star as an All-Pro multipurpose weapon in both Carolina and now San Francisco. His dad, Ed McCaffrey, set the tone for pass-catching prowess, splitting 13 seasons between the Giants and Broncos. In Denver, the elder McCaffrey eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in three straight years, retiring with three Super Bowl rings.
An all-time Saint who’s totaled eight Pro Bowls and 115.5 sacks since arriving as a 2011 first-rounder, Jordan has thrived as a physical edge rusher. His dad, Steve Jordan, also bookended the line, albeit as a longtime, six-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Vikings, logging a combined 6,300 receiving yards and helping guide six playoff runs over 13 beloved seasons in Minnesota.
A first-round pick of the Steelers in 2011, Heyward has been a staple of Pittsburgh’s defensive front ever since, logging six straight Pro Bowl nods. His dad, Craig Heyward, appropriately nicknamed “Ironhead,” came out of Pittsburgh to play 11 seasons as a fullback and running back, most notably with the Saints (1988-1992) and Falcons (1994-1996), topping 1,400 scrimmage yards at 29.
A fifth-round pick of the Patriots in 2008, Slater is still going strong as Bill Belichick’s special-teams captain at 37, entering his 16th season — and angling for an 11th Pro Bowl nod — as a coverage specialist. His dad, Jackie Slater, enjoyed his own Hall of Fame career as a seven-time Pro Bowl tackle for the Rams, appearing in a then-record 259 games during a 20-year run (1976-1995).
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Author: Cody Benjamin
April 12, 2023 | 6:11 pm
