NFL Players Who Followed Their Dads To The League
Like Father, Like Son: NFL Players Who Followed Their Dads Into The League
- Josiah Trotter, E.J. Smith, and others are the latest to join their fathers in the NFL.
- Successful NFL sons like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Patrick Surtain II prove they're more than just a name.
Making it to the NFL already feels like trying to hit the lottery while somebody keeps moving the numbers. According to the NCAA, only about 1.4% of draft-eligible NCAA football players are selected in the NFL Draft, and the NFL itself notes that more than 1 million high school football players compete for roughly 300 NFL openings each year. So when one person in a family makes it, that is already special. When a father and son both make it, that is a whole different level of rare.
That is why this year’s NFL Draft weekend hit different for legacy families. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used the No. 46 overall pick on Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter, the son of former Eagles star Jeremiah Trotter and the younger brother of current Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The Bucs own site called Trotter a second-round pick with “NFL pedigree,” while Sports Illustrated noted that Josiah is now the highest-drafted Trotter in the family. Talk about Thanksgiving bragging rights!
And the legacy wave did not stop there. E.J. Smith, son of NFL rushing king Emmitt Smith, went undrafted but still got his shot after signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. E.J. played at Stanford before finishing his college career at Texas A&M, and now he gets to chase his own lane in the same league where his dad became one of the greatest running backs ever.
So, with Josiah Trotter and E.J. Smith keeping the family business alive, it feels like the perfect time to look at some NFL players who followed in their fathers’ footsteps. Some became stars, some are still building, and some are carrying names that football fans already knew before they ever put on a pro jersey. Either way, the last name gets you recognized — but the work is what keeps you around.
NFL PLAYERS WHO FOLLOWED THEIR DADS INTO THE LEAGUE
Josiah Trotter
Josiah Trotter is the newest name carrying one of football’s most familiar linebacker legacies. His dad, Jeremiah Trotter, was a four-time Pro Bowler who made his name with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., is already in the league with the Eagles. Now Josiah is headed to Tampa Bay after the Buccaneers took him in the second round, making him the highest-drafted Trotter so far.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Before Josiah got drafted, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was already keeping the family name alive in the league. The Eagles took him in the fifth round of the NFL draft in 2024, bringing the Trotter legacy right back to Philly, where his father became a fan favorite. That is the kind of full-circle moment Eagles fans eat up every time.
E.J. Smith
E.J. Smith has one of the biggest football shadows imaginable because his father is Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. But E.J. is getting his own shot after signing with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft. It is not Dallas like his pops, but landing with Kansas City is still a serious opportunity to prove he belongs.
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Marvin Harrison Jr. came into the league with one of the cleanest receiver résumés a young player could have — and with one of the most famous receiver names ever. His father, Marvin Harrison, is a Hall of Famer who spent his entire career with the Colts, won a Super Bowl, made eight Pro Bowls and became one of Peyton Manning’s most trusted weapons. Junior had pressure on him from the jump, but his talent made it clear he was not just riding off a name.
Patrick Surtain II
Patrick Surtain II has already become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, which is wild because his dad was that dude, too. Patrick Surtain Sr. played 11 seasons with the Dolphins and Chiefs, made three straight Pro Bowls, and earned first-team All-Pro honors during his prime. The younger Surtain did not just inherit the name — he inherited the clamps.
Antoine Winfield Jr.
Antoine Winfield Jr. followed his father into the secondary and quickly became a problem in his own right. His dad, Antoine Winfield Sr., was a first-round pick who built a long career with the Bills and Vikings and made three straight Pro Bowls with the Vikings. Junior has carried that same fearless energy, just from the safety spot instead of cornerback.
Christian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey comes from a real football household. His father, Ed McCaffrey, played 13 NFL seasons as a wide receiver and won three Super Bowls with the Giants, 49ers and Broncos. Christian took that family athleticism and turned himself into one of the most dangerous dual-threat running backs the league has seen.
Luke McCaffrey
Luke McCaffrey is another branch of the McCaffrey NFL tree. Like his dad, Ed, Luke made the league as a wide receiver, and like his brother Christian, he had to prove he could be more than just a famous last name. Washington drafted him in the third round in 2024, giving the McCaffrey family yet another NFL chapter.
Joey Bosa
Joey Bosa is part of one of the coldest defensive bloodlines in football. His father, John Bosa, was a first-round pick by the Dolphins in 1987, and Joey followed by becoming a first-rounder himself with the Chargers in 2016. The Bosa family basically turned rushing the passer into a family trade.
Nick Bosa
Nick Bosa kept the same energy as his brother Joey and took it even higher. Like Joey, Nick is the son of former Dolphins defensive end John Bosa, and he also came through Ohio State before becoming an NFL star. When people talk about modern pass-rushing families, the Bosas are always near the top of the list.
Cam Heyward
Cam Heyward has been holding it down in Pittsburgh for years, and his family name already had NFL history before he got there. His father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, played 11 seasons as a fullback and made the Pro Bowl after a 1,000-yard rushing season with the Falcons. Cam took the name to the defensive line and built a career worthy of its own respect.
Connor Heyward
Connor Heyward made the league, too, giving the Heyward family another NFL son. The Steelers drafted him in the sixth round in 2022, and he ended up joining his older brother Cam in Pittsburgh. Not too many families can say that dad played in the league and two sons ended up on the same NFL roster.
DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf is another player whose NFL roots run deep. His father, Terrence Metcalf, played seven seasons as an offensive lineman for the Bears after being drafted in the third round in 2002. DK went a completely different route as a wide receiver, but the size, power and athletic genes clearly made the trip with him.
Asante Samuel Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps into the cornerback business. His dad, Asante Samuel, was one of the best ball-hawking defensive backs of his era and won Super Bowls with the Patriots. Junior came into the league with the same position and the same fearless attitude, trying to create his own highlight reel instead of living off his father’s.
Joey Porter Jr.
Joey Porter Jr. was basically born into Steelers energy. His father, Joey Porter Sr., was a loud, physical linebacker who helped define Pittsburgh’s defense in the 2000s. Junior chose cornerback instead of linebacker, but that edge and confidence still feel very Porter.
Jake Matthews
Jake Matthews is part of one of the most famous football families ever. His father, Bruce Matthews, is a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played 19 seasons, made 14 Pro Bowls and earned seven first-team All-Pro selections. Jake became a longtime NFL tackle himself, proving the Matthews family really does not miss when it comes to offensive linemen.
Joe Alt
Joe Alt followed his father into the trenches, too. His dad, John Alt, played 12 seasons at left tackle for the Chiefs and made back-to-back Pro Bowls. Joe became a first-round pick himself, showing that protecting quarterbacks might just run in the family.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Michael Pittman Jr. is another familiar name who carved out his own lane. His father, Michael Pittman Sr., played running back in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers. Junior became a wide receiver, but he brought the same physical style, playing like someone who does not mind contact at all.
Frank Gore Jr.
Frank Gore Jr. had to deal with one of the most respected running back names in modern football. His dad, Frank Gore Sr., was a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the most durable backs the league has ever seen. Junior entered the league as a second-generation back trying to make his own way, but with a last name that football fans immediately recognize.
Jon Runyan Jr.
Jon Runyan Jr. followed in his dad’s footsteps from Michigan to the NFL offensive line. His father, Jon Runyan Sr., played 14 seasons, spent much of his career with the Eagles and made a Pro Bowl. Junior moved inside to guard, but the family business stayed the same: move grown men out of the way.
Marlon Humphrey
Marlon Humphrey came from an Alabama and NFL family before becoming a standout cornerback himself. His father, Bobby Humphrey, was a star running back at Alabama before playing in the NFL, where he made a Pro Bowl with the Broncos and rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice. Marlon flipped sides of the ball and became a high-level defensive back.
Grady Jarrett
Grady Jarrett’s father, Jessie Tuggle, is an Atlanta Falcons legend who made five Pro Bowls and led the league in tackles four times. Jarrett followed him into the league, stayed connected to Atlanta, and built a strong career as a disruptive defensive tackle. Different position, same family toughness.
