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NEW YORK -- Every year, many players join the National Football League from families rich in athletic tradition. Here is a sampling of draft prospects who had family members compete at either the collegiate or professional level in the world of sports.
QUARTERBACKS
FAMILY MEMBER WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
ANDREW LUCK – Stanford…Father, OLIVER, was a three-year starter at quarterback for West Virginia and was chosen in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He enjoyed a five-year professional career and is currently serving as the athletic director for his alma mater.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
B.J. COLEMAN – Tennessee-Chattanooga…Father, Bryon, played four years at Chattanooga (1977-80), where brother, Jarrod, is presently a tight end.
KIRK COUSINS – Michigan State…Brother, Kyle, lettered four times as a pitcher at Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Mich.).
AUSTIN DAVIS – University of Southern Mississippi…Brother, Bo, was member of the 2011 Southern Mississippi College World Series baseball squad…Cousin, Jason Smith, played minor league baseball in the organizations of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2002-03), Detroit Tigers (2004-05), Colorado Rockies (2006), Chicago Cubs (2006), Toronto Blue Jays (2007), Arizona Diamondbacks (2007), Kansas City Royals (2007-08) and Houston Astros (2009).
RYAN LINDLEY – San Diego State…Father, Tim, played water polo at Occidental College.
KELLEN MOORE – Boise State…Brother, Kirby, is presently a starting wide receiver at Boise State.
BROCK OSWEILER – Arizona State…Brother, Tanner, played football at Montana Tech.
RYAN TANNEHILL – Texas A&M…Father, Tim, played football at Texas Tech from 1985-87.
RUSSELL WILSON – Wisconsin…His late father, Harrison III, played football and baseball at Dartmouth and spent time on the San Diego Chargers' preseason roster…Older brother, Harrison, IV, played football and baseball at Richmond.
RUNNING BACKS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
DRAKE DUNSMORE – Northwestern…Father, PAT, played tight end in college at Drake (named his son after the school) and also competed in the NFL for two years (1983-84) with the Chicago Bears.
TERRANCE GANAWAY – Baylor…Uncle, JEREMIAH TROTTER, played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his 11-year NFL tenure. Following his college career at Stephen F. Austin, Trotter was chosen in Round 3 of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Eagles. He earned four Pro Bowl trips and was a two-time All-Pro.
DAN HERRON – Ohio State…Brother, DAVID, was a standout linebacker at Michigan State and played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011 before recently signing a free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.
DAVIN MEGGETT – Maryland…Father, DAVE, played for three different NFL teams – the New York Giants (1989-1994), New England Patriots (1995-97) and New York Jets (1998). He earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Giants' Super Bowl XXV championship team.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
VICK BALLARD – Mississippi State…Uncle, Walter, was a defensive tackle at Texas-El Paso (1980-81) before going on to play for Calgary (1983-84) and British Columbia (1985-89) in the CFL.
TRENT RICHARDSON – Alabama…Brother, Terrell, lettered as a defensive end at Louisiana-Lafayette (2007-2010).
BRAD SMELLEY – Alabama…Brother, Chris, was a quarterback at South Carolina, but recently transferred to Alabama, where he plays on the Crimson Tide baseball team.
WIDE RECEIVERS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
JEFF FULLER – Texas A&M…Father, JEFF, was a standout safety at Texas A&M (1980-83) and was chosen in the fifth round by San Francisco in the 1984 NFL Draft, playing for the 49ers from 1984-89 and earning a pair of Super Bowl rings.
DALE MOSS – South Dakota State…Uncle, JOHNNY RODGERS, was a wing-back at Nebraska, where he helped the Huskers win the first two national titles in school history (1970 and 1971) before becoming the school's first Heisman winner in 1972. A two-time All-American, Rodgers was one of the top punt returners in NCAA football history and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He was chosen in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but failed to negotiate a contract. He played for the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL (1973-76) before joining the San Diego Chargers for the 1977-78 seasons…Cousin,
BOBBY NEWCOME, also played for Nebraska from 1997-2000 and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
NICK TOON – Wisconsin…Father, AL, was selected 10th overall in the 1985 NFL Draft by the New York Jets and went on to become a three-time Pro Bowl receiver while spending his entire career with the Jets (1985-1992). Al, who finished his NFL career with 517 catches for 6,605 yards and 31 touchdowns, enjoyed his best year as a pro in 1988, when he led the league with 93 receptions. He was inducted into Wisconsin's Hall of Fame in 1995, where he starred as a receiver and on the UW track team from 1982-85. Al left Wisconsin as the school's then record-holder with 131 receptions for 2,103 yards and 19 touchdowns. Nick surpassed his father's receiving yardage total, amassing 2,447 yards from 2008-2011, which currently ranks third in school history. His 171 receptions also rank third in Wisconsin annals, and his 18 touchdowns fell short of his father's mark, but still rank fifth all-time in Wisconsin history.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
CHRIS GIVENS – Wake Forest…Brother, Nick Knott, was a red-shirt freshman tailback at Wake Forest in 2011.
STEPHEN HILL – Georgia Tech…Father, Henry, played basketball at Lake City College.
ALSHON JEFFERY – South Carolina…Brother, Shamier, was a 2011 South Carolina signee and red-shirted last season while performing as a receiver on the scout team.
MARVIN JONES – California-Berkley…Father, Marvin, Sr., wrestled at California-Bakersfield.
RISHARD MATTHEWS – Nevada…Uncle, Clarenze McZiel, lettered in track at Lamar University.
TIGHT ENDS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
JAMES HANNA – Oklahoma…Mother, Kim, played volleyball at Miami (Ohio).
KEVIN KOGER – Michigan…Sister, LaShawnda Thorne, played volleyball at Michigan and earned a varsity letter in 1991.
BRIAN LINTHICUM – Michigan State…Brother, Josh, was a center for the Bucknell University basketball team (2005-09), playing for a squad that earned the third NCAA Tournament berth in school history in 2006.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
TONY BERGSTROM – Utah… Brother-in-law, PAUL KRUGER, was selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Ravens and is currently a defensive end for Baltimore…Cousin, Ryan Roberts, was an infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays (2006-07) and Texas Rangers (2008) before joining his present team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2009.
MATT KALIL – Southern California… Brother, RYAN, was an All-American at Southern California, and is currently the starting center for the Carolina Panthers, who selected him in Round 2 of the 2007 NFL Draft …Father, FRANK, was a center at Arkansas and Arizona, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1982 before playing for the USFL's Arizona Wranglers in 1983 and Houston Gamblers in 1984.
MATT REYNOLDS – Brigham Young…Father, LANCE, was an All-American honorable mention and All-Western Athletic Conference first-team selection as an offensive tackle for Brigham Young in 1977. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978 and spent that NFL season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He currently serves as the Cougars' associate head coach and running backs coach, where he just completed his 28th season with the program…Brother, Lance, Jr., was the starting center for BYU from 2001-05, earning team Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior…Brother, DALLAS, lettered with the Cougars from 2005-08, following Lance, Jr. as the Cougars' center. As a senior, he earned All-MWC first-team and All-American third-team accolades in 2008, going on to play two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles on the practice squad (2009-2010) and is presently a free agent…Brother, Houston, started 10 games alongside Matt at the left guard position in 2011.
MITCHELL SCHWARTZ – California-Berkeley…Brother, GEOFF, completed his college career as an offensive tackle for Oregon in 2007 and is currently with the Panthers after being chosen by Carolina in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
DAVID DE CASTRO – Stanford…Father, Colin, was a rugby star in his native country of South Africa.
DEREK DENNIS – Temple…Cousin, Curtis Kelly, played basketball at Kansas State as a forward (2006-10), where he averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game.
LUKE NIX – Pittsburgh…Brother, Nate, was a teammate at Pittsburgh, where he was a linebacker-defensive end (2006-2010).
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
FAMILY MEMBER WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
DEVON STILL – Penn State…Cousin, ART, was an All-Pro defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs (1978-1987) and Buffalo Bills (1988-89)…Cousin, LEVON KIRKLAND, was a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-2000), Seattle Seahawks (2001) and Philadelphia Eagles (2002).
CHANDLER JONES – Syracuse...Brother, ARTHUR, was a defensive lineman for the Orange (2006-09) before joining the Baltimore Ravens as a fifth-round draft choice in 2010. Arthur ranks third in Syracuse history with 38.5 tackles for loss.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
JAKE BEQUETTE – Arkansas…Late grandfather, George, starred as a two-way lineman from 1954-56 at Arkansas… Father, Jay (1980-82), excelled as a center for for the Razorbacks, going on to earn All-Southwestern Conference honors during his senior season…Uncle, Chris, joined the Arkansas program as an offensive tackle (1984-87).
MALIK JACKSON – Tennessee…Twin brother, Marquis, is a junior defensive end at Texas Southern.
LINEBACKERS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
EMMANUEL ACHO – Texas…Brother, SAM, played defensive end at Texas and was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals…Both parents, Sonny and Christie, were born in Nigeria, where his mother ran track at University College Hospital in Nigeria.
NAJEE GOODE – West Virginia…Father, JOHN, was a tight end standout at Youngstown State who spent the 1984 season with St. Louis after the Cardinals drafted him in the fifth round, going on to play for Philadelphia…Brother, Tariq, also played at Youngstown State in 2006 and later performed in the AFL for the Mahoning Valley Thunder…Brother, Wakeem, was a starting linebacker at Hampton University (2005-08).
JAMES-MICHAEL JOHNSON – Nevada…Cousin, JEROME BOYD, was a linebacker at the University of Oregon (2005-08) and spent time on the Oakland Raiders' roster during each of the past three NFL seasons.
JONATHAN MASSAQUOI – Troy…Two cousins, tight end VISANTHE SHIANCOEand wide receiver MOHAMED MASSAQUOI, currently play for the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns, respectively. Shiancoe has played nine NFL seasons, starting his career with the New York Giants in 2003, and has 27 career touchdown catches. Mohamed has been a three-year starter for the Browns, amassing 101 catches during that span…Cousin, Tim, was a tight end at the University of Michigan.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
MYCHAL KENDRICKS – California-Berkeley…Father, Marvin, played college football at UCLA, leading the Bruins in rushing twice in 1970 and 1971 before venturing north to play for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL during the 1973 season…Brother, Eric, played linebacker for UCLA in 2011.
BRANDON LINDSEY – Pittsburgh…Father, John, played basketball at Memphis State University (1969-71)…Brother, Willie, played football at Northwestern (1989-1992).
KEENAN ROBINSON – Texas…Brother, Aubrey Smith, played cornerback at Missouri Valley College.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
DUKE IHENACHO – San Jose State…Brother, CARL, starred as a defensive end at San Jose State from 2006-09 and is presently a linebacker with the Oakland Raiders.
CHASE MINNIFIELD – Virginia…Father, FRANK, played cornerback for the Cleveland Browns (1984-1992), earning four Pro Bowl appearances and a spot on the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1980s.
BRANDON TAYLOR – Louisiana State…Brother, CURTIS, played on LSU's national title team in 2007 and was drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers…Brother, Jhyryn, spent two years with the Louisiana State football program before transferring to a junior college in the spring of 2010.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
ASA JACKSON – Cal Poly…Brother, Ade, is a freshman running back at the University of Pennsylvania.
JANZEN JACKSON – McNeese State…Father, Lance Guidry, played defensive back at McNeese State and is presently the defensive backs coach at Western Kentucky, having served in that same role at Miami (Ohio) and his alma mater in 2008.
JOSH NORMAN – Coastal Carolina…Brother, Marrio, was an All-American cornerback at Coastal Carolina (2004-07).
SHAUN PRATER – Iowa…Twin brother, Shane, was also an incoming recruit at Iowa before transferring to Texas A&M-Kingsville…Brother, Nate, was a tight end at Kansas State in the mid-2000s…Brother, Randy Hopkins, was a wide receiver at Nebraska-Omaha.
RYAN STEED – Furman…Father, Ernest, played basketball at Spartanburg Methodist College.
