Official NFL Release
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.
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 SHIANCOE and 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.