College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Top Father-Son Combos of All Time
Oh those family genes.
What we pass on from us to our kids. Sometimes it's our looks, sometimes it's our shyness around the opposite sex (that'll be my kid).
And sometimes it's the ability to run a 4.3 40 and fire a ball 70 yards.
There's a huge amount of pressure being the child of a famous athlete, especially when that child goes on to play the same sport his/her famous parent played. And when it's in college football, and you're trying to live up to your father, who in some of the cases on this list are either legends at their school or even Pro Football Hall-of-Famers, it's a hard legacy to uphold.
The guys on this list not only upheld those legacies, they were pretty good in their own right.
20. Phil and Chris Simms
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We all know the story of Phil, the Kentucky kid who went on to Morehead State before he was the surprise first round pick of the New York Giants in 1979. Between him and Bill Parcells, Simms went on to a great NFL career and one of the best performances in Super Bowl history.
Chris was one of the highest-pursued recruits in the country coming out of New Jersey before he signed with Texas, entering into a highly-publicized quarterback battle with incumbent and fan favorite Major Applewhite. Chris eventually was the starter and threw for the third most touchdowns in school history, but garnered a title for never being able to win the big game.
19. Wendell and Marc Tyler
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Wendell might be more known for being a Pro Bowl running back in the NFL, but he was a pretty darn good running back in college as well. Wendell ran for more than 3,000 yards in his career at UCLA, which included being a member of the 1975 Rose Bowl team.
His son hasn't been able to find that kind of success at rival USC, but Marc has also been stuck behind some pretty good running backs, including Joe McKnight.
18. Steve and Matt Suhey
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Pick a Suhey, any Suhey.
The Suhey's have been at Penn State longer than Joe Paterno has, which tells you how long it actually has been. Steve Suhey was an All-American running back who also served in World War II and was the MVP of the 1948 Cotton Bowl.
His son Matt also starred at Penn State as a running back, including being a part of the Penn State team that went to the Sugar Bowl. He's probably more known in football circles for being a fullback for the Chicago Bears and for his friendship with Walter Payton.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
17. Al and Nick Toon
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The Toon's are starting to create a legacy for themselves.
Al Toon is still one of the best receivers ever to play for the Badgers, holding the school records for career receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. He's become a legend in Madison who went on to have a productive NFL career
His son Nick might have a long way to go to catch him, but with the season he had last year as the Badgers became Air Randall, he might be on his way soon enough.
16. Tim and T.J. McDonald
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USC might be known for their linebackers, but they've also had some pretty good safeties as well. Tim was one of them, a two-time All-American who went on to star in the NFL and considered a pretty darn good safety by USC standards.
His son T.J. might be starting to build a nice legacy for himself, after becoming a starter in 2010 and starring on the Trojan defense that went through a rebuilding year.
15. Mosi and Lofa Tatupu
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This might be one of the rare instances in which the son might be a better player than the father.
Mosi was a fullback at USC before he made the jump to the NFL with the New England Patriots and LA Rams. But it was his son who's become an NFL star.
Tatupu starred at USC in a linebacking corps that also featured Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga and Clay Matthews before getting drafted by the Seattle Seahawks. He immediately became a star on the Seattle linebacking corps and now is reunited in Seattle with his old head coach, Pete Carroll.
14. Ron and Shawn Springs
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Ron Springs spent seven years in the NFL (mostly in Dallas), where he was a decent back. But he made his name at Ohio State, where he was one of the starring backs in Woody Hayes' runner-heavy system.
Like his father, Shawn Springs went to Ohio State, but he stood out a little more.
Twice, Shawn was named an All-American and eventually was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year before he moved on to a strong career in the NFL.
13. Billy Ray Smith Sr. and Jr.
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Both father and son have a pretty strong legacy in Little Rock.
Senior was a standout defensive lineman during his day before he moved on to the NFL. His son was a little more decorated, making two All-America teams as a linebacker and eventually moving on to the NFL as well. Both have been well-decorated in Arkansas, while Junior was also named to the College Football Hall of Fame.
12. Ronnie Lott and Ryan Nece
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Before he became a Hall-of-Famer with the 49ers, Ronnie Lott was a College Football Hall-of-Famer for his time at USC, when he was an All-American and played in two Rose Bowls, all of which led him to be the No. 6 overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft.
Ryan Nece was never an All-American at California, but he did start for three seasons as a linebacker and eventually was one of the semifinalists for the Butkus Award his senior season in Berkeley. He wasn't a Hall-of-Famer, but he did have a nice career for himself in the NFL.
11. Tony and Anthony Dorsett
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What can be said about Tony that hasn't been said already?
A Heisman Trophy winner, the Football Bowl Subdivision's all-time leading rusher until Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne came along and one of the best college football players of all-time during the golden age of Pitt football.
His son Anthony didn't have a bad career at Pitt either, as he made it to the NFL like his old man.
10. Craig Heyward and Cameron Heyward
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No one really knew Cameron Heyward's late father by Craig, rather it was "Ironhead". His famous nickname (and his Zest soap commercials) made him famous, but the nearly 1,700 rushing yards he had in 1987 at Pitt made him a first-round draft pick in the NFL.
He was drafted by the Saints and it's ironic now that his son, a defensive lineman at Ohio State, could very well be drafted by the Saints in this year's NFL Draft. If it does happen, Cameron could go at No. 24, the same draft pick his father was.
9. Mark Ingram Sr. and Jr.
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Mark Ingram Sr. had a nice career at Michigan State, which was then followed by a long career in the NFL.
Mark Ingram Jr. had a much more outstanding college career, becoming one of the dominant rushers in the nation, winning a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship. Coming into the NFL Draft, Todd McShay has recently compared him to Emmitt Smith.
8. Bob and Brian Griese
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Both played at Big Ten schools (Bob went to Purdue, Brian went to Michigan), both took their teams to a Rose Bowl and both took their teams to a Rose Bowl victory.
Both took their games to the NFL, and eventually, both ended up in the broadcast booth calling college football games.
Like father, like son.
7. Kellen Winslow Sr. and Jr.
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Kellen Winslow Sr. was a tight end who while at Missouri, helped redefine the position and eventually helped redefine the sport of football as being one of the first dominant pass-catching tight ends.
His son benefited from that revolution at Miami, becoming one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country while playing on an absolutely stacked Hurricanes team in the early years of this century. Of course, he was more famous for his "soldier" rant at Miami than he is now in the NFL.
6. Howie and Chris Long
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Contrary to popular belief, Chris and Michigan tackle Jake Long were not related when they went one-two in the 2008 NFL Draft. But Chris is related to the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Howie.
Howie played at Villanova, starting as a tight end, but eventually moving to the defensive side of the ball and becoming a star. Chris Long became a pass rusher at Virginia, and despite the team's record, Chris became a star and the Cavaliers' best football product since Matt Schaub and the Barber Twins.
5. Joe and Nick Montana
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We all know Joe Montana as one of the best quarterbacks of all time and the legendary clutch quarterback that he was. He started that legend in South Bend, even though he jumped up and down the depth chart for most of his career.
But if his son Nick, one of the most highly-recruited prospects in the country who signed with Washington, turns out to be the quarterback Montana was, then Huskies fans will be lucky. They just need him to be a little more consistent.
4. Dub and Bert Jones
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The Jones' were legends during the heart of the 20th Century in Louisiana.
Dub had a short NFL career, but as a running back at Tulane, he was an All-American and a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Bert went to LSU (like his dad did once), but stayed on at quarterback. He eventually became one of the best quarterbacks ever in Baton Rouge to wear the purple and gold before moving on to the NFL, making it as a first round pick like his dad.
3. Clay Matthews Jr. and Clay Matthews III
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Like the Suhey's, the Matthews' have a long college football history.
Clay Matthews Jr. had a great career at USC before moving on to the NFL.
But Clay Matthews the III might be the best of the bunch. He rose to the top of a crowded USC linebacking corps to be one of the leaders on USC's last Rose Bowl team to date, and that was before he went to the NFL and became a star.
2. Terry and Eric Metcalf
19 of 20If you watched Terry or Eric Metcalf, you could tell they were father and son.
They each had that silky-smooth stride, that speed, that vision. The ability to make defenders miss left and right.
And the ability to take it all the way no matter where they were any time either one of them touched the ball. Terry cut his teeth as a running back at Long Beach State, while Eric was an electric wide receiver at Texas.
Either way, they were fun to watch.
1. Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning
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Who else was it going to be?
The first family of quarterbacks. Archie, the gunslinger who was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation during his record-setting career at Ole Miss.
Then there was Peyton, who despite never making it to the big game while at Tennessee, still lit up the field and set the stage for his brilliant NFL career. And then there's Eli, who while like his father never had great Ole Miss teams, still shined and made it to the NFL.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
