Sometimes exceptional football talent simply runs in the family. Just ask the Mannings (Archie, Peyton and Eli, and even Cooper in his day) or the Barbers (Tiki and Ronde) or the Grieses (Bob and Brian). The list goes on and on.
Many of those legendary football families have ties to the SEC, be it through the generations or in the form of siblings starring in the conference at the same time.
Here are some of our favorite football families to pass through the SEC in the last 10 years:
THE MATTHEWS
- SEC family members: Kevin and Jake (Texas A&M)
- Family story: Both Kevin and Jake Matthews come from a long line of football talents in the Matthews family, dating all the way back to their grandfather Clay Matthews Sr., who starred at Georgia Tech in the 1940s before advancing to the NFL. He raised two sons: Clay Jr. and Bruce, both of whom went on to star at Southern Cal before entering the NFL themselves (Bruce is a Pro Football Hall of Famer). Clay Jr. raised two sons: Clay III and Casey, who both starred in the Pac 12 before eventually reaching the NFL as the third generation of Matthews took the football world by storm (both are active in the league). Bruce also raised two sons with NFL talent in Kevin and Jake, which is where the family’s SEC ties come into play. Kevin, a center, went undrafted in 2010 but has lasted in the league for five years anyway. Jake was twice an All-American and All-SEC honoree in 2012-13, and he went on to be taken sixth overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.
THE POUNCEYS
- SEC family members: Mike and Maurkice (Florida)
- Family story: The Pouncey twins played together at Florida from 2007-09 (Mike actually stayed until 2010), serving as standout interior linemen protecting Tim Tebow during his Heisman season in 2007 and the Gators last national title season in 2008. Both brothers were All-American and All-SEC performers during their years in Gainesville, and both were first round picks in their respective drafts (Maurkice in 2010, Mike in 2011). They’ve both earned multiple Pro Bowl bids in their young NFL careers, and Maurkice is actually a four-time NFL All-Pro as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
THE KOUANDJIOS
- SEC family members: Cyrus and Arie (Alabama)
- Family story: The Kouandjio brothers, both All-SEC and All-American performers as well as national champions in their years at Alabama, helped pave the way for multiple current NFL backs while playing for one of the premier offensive lines in the country. Cyrus is actually younger than Arie, but he departed from school first and was a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft after playing for the Tide from 2011-13. Arie played for Alabama from 2010-14 (including a redshirt year) and is projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
THE RODGERS
- SEC family members: Aaron (Cal — Pac 12) and Jordan (Vanderbilt)
- Family story: Before he was a Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP, Aaron Rodgers was an up-and-coming talent on Jeff Tedford’s Cal teams in the early-to-mid 2000s. He infamously fell to 25th in the 2005 NFL Draft after being projected to go as high as No. 1 overall, then made those who passed on him pay after finally taking over for Brett Favre in Green Bay. But it was Aaron’s brother, Jordan, who ties the Rodgers family to the SEC. The younger Rodgers spent two years in junior college then arrived at Vanderbilt, where he started seven games in his first season in 2011. He was named a co-offensive captain on the Commodores’ 2012 team, leading it to the first of back to back nine-win seasons under then-coach James Franklin. He ranks in the top 10 in most statistical categories in the Vandy history books, both passing and rushing, and did so despite playing just two seasons in Nashville. He was also a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, and now plays in the Canadian Football League.
THE STOOPS
- SEC family members: Bob (Oklahoma — Big 12), Mike (Arizona — Pac 12), Mark (Kentucky)
- Family story: The Stoops brothers have been a legendary coaching family at the college level for many years now, following in the footsteps of their father, a high school coach in Youngstown, Ohio. Bob has been the head coach at Oklahoma since 1999, and has a national championship with the Sooners to his name. Mike and Mark served as assistants all throughout the country, and both have also had their shots as head coaches. Mike led the Arizona Wildcats for eight seasons from 2004-11, and was recently let go as a coordinator on Bob’s staff at Oklahoma. Mark recently tied the family to the SEC when he took over as the head coach at Kentucky prior to the 2013 season. He’s grown the program steadily since arriving in Lexington, extending the Stoops coaching name to one of the nation’s most historically significant conferences. The ultimate irony, of course, is the family’s ties to the SEC following Bob’s repeated putdowns of the conference’s dominance from his home in the Big 12. However, when it comes to Mark’s program, we must assume he’s willing to look past those opinions.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
