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College football players with NFL fathers
With the first week of the college football season underway, College Football 24/7 is taking a look at 13 gridiron father-son pairings. The fathers are former NFL players who had pro careers that were at least solid (in some cases, they were outstanding). The sons are active college players who have a good chance to make an impact for their teams this fall. In several cases, dad and son played college ball at the same school.
His dad: OT Lincoln Kennedy
Notable: The USC veteran is not only one of the biggest linemen in the game (6-foot-9, 360 pounds), he's also one of the best. Banner was named first-team All-Pac-12 last season and returns this fall as a fifth-year senior. Kennedy played college football at Washington and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 9 overall pick of the 1993 draft. However, Kennedy played his best football with the Oakland Raiders. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Silver and Black.
His dad: RB Larry Centers
Notable: The Aggies safety tied for the team lead in interceptions last season (three) and is a leader for the Utah State defense. The 2014 All-Mountain West honorable mention selection returns as a senior this fall. Larry Centers played at Stephen F. Austin and spent most of his 14-year NFL career with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals. He was more productive as a pass-catcher than as a rusher, peaking in 1995 with 101 catches for 962 yards.
His dad: LB Bryan Cox
Notable: Cox was a big presence for the UF defense last year, making 13 starts and recording 10.5 tackles for loss. Cox was one of four Gators to finish in double digits in the TFL category. He and Caleb Brantley will be primary keys to Florida's pass-rush success this year. Bryan Cox Sr. played at Western Illinois and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2008. He went on to have a 12-year NFL career with five teams as a pass-rushing linebacker, primarily with the Miami Dolphins, and accumulated 51.5 career sacks.
His dad: LB Jack Del Rio
Notable: Now on his third college stop after transferring from Alabama to Oregon State, then to Florida, Luke Del Rio appears to have finally found the right home. He has been named a starter at Florida for the Gators' opening game after an impressive showing in spring practice. His dad, Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, played at USC. After being selected in the third round of the 1985 draft by the New Orleans Saints, he embarked on an 11-year NFL career. He made the NFL's All-Rookie team in '85 as a member of the Saints and went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He led the Vikings in tackles for three consecutive seasons.
His dad: DE Keith Hamilton
Notable: Rutgers lost Hamilton, a team captain, early in the season last year due to a knee injury. He was granted a medical redshirt and is expected back this fall for one more season with the Scarlet Knights under new coach Chris Ash. In 2014, he was named the team's defensive MVP after making 11.5 tackles for loss, including six sacks at defensive tackle. Keith Hamilton played collegiately at Pittsburgh, then had a lengthy career with the New York Giants, making 157 starts over 12 years from 1992 to 2003.
His dad: RB Bobby Humphrey
Notable: After only one season as a full-time starter, Humphrey has established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the college game. The third-year sophomore and former five-star recruit ran track for the Crimson Tide as a freshman, when he was part of a school record-breaking 4x400 relay team. His father, Bobby Humphrey, was a star running back for Alabama (3,420 career yards) and a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 1989 Supplemental Draft. He helped the Broncos to a berth in Super Bowl XXIV as a rookie, rushing for 1,151 yards, and made the Pro Bowl a season later. He was dealt to the Dolphins in 1991 after a contract dispute with Denver and never recaptured his previous form.
His dad: LB Robert Jones
Notable: Jones looks to cap a huge college career with the Pirates this fall as a senior. From his freshman to junior years, his receiving yardage totals have increased from 604 to 830 to 1,099. His father, Robert Jones, also played at ECU. He was a first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and played four seasons in Dallas to begin a 10-year pro career.
His dad: OL Todd Kalis
Notable: The younger Kalis started 13 games at right guard for the Wolverines last year. He was selected third-team All-Big Ten by the media and Big Ten honorable mention by the league's coaches. He returns this fall as a seasoned fifth-year senior. Todd Kalis, who played for Arizona State, was a fourth-round pick out of the Minnesota Vikings in 1988. Also a right guard, he spent five seasons in Minnesota before closing his career with short stints in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. He was a starter in four of his eight NFL seasons.
His dad: WR Ed McCaffrey
Notable: Undoubtedly the biggest college star listed here, Christian McCaffrey had a spectacular sophomore campaign for the Cardinal last year that culminated with an NCAA record 3,864 all-purpose yards and a trip to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. Ed McCaffrey, who also played at Stanford, was a third-round pick of the New York Giants in 1991, but built his reputation as a quality NFL receiver in Denver, where he posted three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1998-2000.
His dad: LB Reggie McKenzie
Notable: One of the most sought-after recruits Butch Jones has landed at UT, Kahlil McKenzie made an instant impact as a freshman in 2015. He appeared in every game and improved steadily to play his best football at season's end. His father, Reggie, is best known today as the Oakland Raiders' general manager. As a player, he also went to UT and was drafted by the Raiders in 1985 (10th round). He was a starter for Oakland in the first two years of his five-season NFL career.
His dad: LB Hardy Nickerson
Notable: This father-son pairing unified this offseason when the younger Nickerson left Cal for Illinois as a graduate transfer, where he'll play for his father, who was hired by new coach Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator. The younger Nickerson piled up 246 career stops over three seasons with the Golden Bears, and is expected to play a big role in the Fighting Illini's first defense under Smith. The elder Nickerson, who also played at Cal, spent 16 seasons in the NFL and reached five Pro Bowls. He was selected to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade team.
His dad: RB Barry Sanders
Notable: The Stanford graduate has transferred to Oklahoma State, where his father played, after playing a reserve role for the Cardinal the last three years. He'll have a better chance to make an impact in Stillwater, as Christian McCaffrey is entrenched as Stanford's starter. The elder Sanders had a spectacular pro career as the Detroit Lions' No. 3 overall pick in 1989, rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his 10 NFL seasons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
His dad: WR Cedric Tillman
Notable: As much as Navy ran the ball with Keenan Reynolds last year, the Midshipmen threw it enough for Jamir Tillman to catch 29 passes for 597 yards and five scores, leading the team in all three areas. At 6-4, 212 pounds, he'll be a big target for Navy's heir apparent at quarterback, Tago Smith. His father, Cedric Tillman, of Alcorn State, was an 11th-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 1992, playing three seasons in Denver and one in Jacksonville, mostly as a reserve.
