FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFL-46 9/26/97
FOR SOME IN THE NFL, IT’S LIKE FATHER...LIKE SON
There are 24 sons of fathers who played in the NFL who don’t have to ask dad how it was to play pro football -- they’re doing it themselves.
On October 12 when the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers, Bears defensive tackle JIM FLANIGAN, JR. will be one of six players through the end of the season who will play against their father’s former team. Flanigan is the son of linebacker JIM FLANIGAN, SR., who played for the Packers from 1967-70 and earned a Super Bowl II championship ring.
The others:
November 16 -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers center JIM PYNE vs. New England Patriots, former team of father GEORGE III (Defensive tackle, 1965). Grandfather GEORGE II played tackle for the Providence Steam Roller in 1931.
November 23 -- Buffalo Bills nose tackle TED WASHINGTON vs. Tennessee Oilers, former team of father TED (Linebacker, 1973-82).
November 27 (Thanksgiving Day) -- Tennessee Oilers cornerback ANTHONY DORSETT vs. Dallas Cowboys, former team of father TONY (Running back, 1977-87).
November 30 -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver ROBB THOMAS vs. New York Giants, former team of father AARON (Tight end, wide receiver, fullback, 1962-70).
December 14 -- St. Louis Rams safety KEITH LYLE vs. Chicago Bears, former team of father GARRY (Cornerback, halfback, 1968-74).
When Jim Flanigan, Jr. made the Bears roster in 1994 as a third-round draft choice from Notre Dame, he became the 10th son of an NFL Super Bowl player to be drafted and play in the NFL. That number increased to 12 in 1996 with Tennessee cornerback Anthony Dorsett (father Tony, Dallas, SB XII, XIII) and New Orleans Saints defensive end BRADY SMITH (father STEVE, Minnesota, SB IV).
"My Dad never really pushed me to get into sports," says Jim, Jr., born three years after his father played in Super Bowl.
"Most of my friends knew my father played pro football and asked a lot of questions when they were over at the house," he says. "But his football past didn’t really become a big thing until I was in high school."
Jim, Sr. let things take their course with Jim, Jr. and younger brother BRIAN, a linebacker at Wisconsin.
"The boys obviously knew I played football, but there was no pressure for them to excel in sports," he says.
But Jim, Jr. did at Notre Dame, and now with the Bears. He leads the team in sacks this year with 2.0.
Following is a list of the 24 current NFL father-son duos and threesomes:
| ADAMS | |||
| Sam, Sr. | G | 1972 - 80 New England Patriots | |
| Sam, Jr. | DT | 1994 - present Seattle Seahawks | |
| ALDRIDGE | |||
| Allen, Sr. | DE | 1971 - 72 Houston Oilers, 1974 Cleveland Browns | |
| Allen, Jr. | LB | 1994 - present Denver Broncos | |
| BELSER | |||
| Caeser | DB | 1968 - 71 Kansas City Chiefs, 1974 San Francisco 49ers | |
| Jason | DB | 1992 - present Indianapolis Colts | |
| BERCICH | |||
| Bob | S | 1960 - 61 Dallas Cowboys | |
| Peter | LB | 1995 - present Minnesota Vikings | |
| CLINE | |||
| Tony | DE | 1970 - 75 Oakland Raiders, 1976 San Francisco 49ers | |
| Tony | TE | 1995 - present Buffalo Bills | |
| DORSETT | |||
| Tony | RB | 1977 - 87 Dallas Cowboys, 1988 Denver Broncos | |
| Anthony | CB | 1996 - present Tennessee Oilers | |
| DOTSON | |||
| Alphonse | DT | 1965 Kansas City Chiefs, 1966 Miami Dolphins | |
| Santana | DT - DE | 1992 - 95 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1996 - present Green Bay Packers | |
| FLANIGAN | |||
| Jim, Sr. | LB | 1967 - 70 Green Bay Packers | |
| Jim, Jr. | DT | 1994 - present Chicago Bears | |
| HARVEY | |||
| Richard, Sr. | DB | 1971 New Orleans | |
| Richard, Jr. | LB | 1995-Present New Orleans | |
| KOWALKOWSKI | |||
| Bob | G | 1966 - 76 Detroit Lions, 1977 Green Bay Packers | |
| Scott | LB | 1991 - 92 Philadelphia Eagles, 1994-present Detroit Lions | |
| LEEUWENBURG | |||
| Richard | T | 1965 Chicago Bears | |
| Jay | C | 1992 - 95 Chicago Bears, 1996 - present Indianapolis Colts | |
| LYLE | |||
| Garry | CB HB | 1968 - 74 Chicago Bears | |
| Keith | S | 1994 - present Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams | |
| MANGUM | |||
| John | DT | 1966 - 67 Boston Patriots | |
| John | DB | 1990 - present Chicago Bears | |
| MARION | |||
| Jerry | WR | 1967 Pittsburgh Steelers | |
| Brock | S | 1993 - present Dallas Cowboys | |
| MATTEWS | |||
| Clay, Sr. | DE-DT | 1950, 1953 - 55 San Francisco 49ers, 1951 - 52 Military Service | |
| Clay, Jr. | LB | 1978 - 93 Cleveland Browns, 1994 - 96 Atlanta Falcons | |
| Bruce | G-C | 1983 - present Tennessee Oilers | |
| METCALF | |||
| Terry | RB-WR-KR | 1973 - 77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1981 Washington Redskins | |
| Eric | RB-WR-KR | 1989 - 94 Cleveland Browns, 1995 - 96 Atlanta Falcons, 1997 San Diego Chargers | |
| PYNE | |||
| George II | T | 1931 Providence Steam Roller (grandfather) | |
| George III | DT | 1965 Boston Patriots (father) | |
| Jim | C | 1994 -present Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| SALAAM | |||
| Sulton | RB | 1968 Cincinnati Bengals | |
| (Harold "Teddy" Washington) | |||
| Rashaan | RB | 1995 - present Chicago Bears | |
| SMITH | |||
| Steve | T | 1966 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1966 - 67 San Francisco 49ers, 1968 - 70 Minnesota Vikings, 1971 - 74 Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Brady | DE | 1996 - present New Orleans Saints | |
| SPRINGS | |||
| Ron | RB | 1979 - 84 Dallas Cowboys, 1985 - 86 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Shawn | CB | 1997 - Seattle Seahawks | |
| THOMAS | |||
| Aaron | TE-WR-FB | 1961 - 62 San Francisco 49ers, 1962 - 70 New York Giants | |
| Robb | WR | 1989 - 91 Kansas City Chiefs, 1992 - 95 Seattle Seahawks, 1996 - present Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| WASHINGTON | |||
| Ted | LB | 1973 - 82 Houston Oilers | |
| Ted | NT-DE | 1991 - 93 San Francisco 49ers, 1994 Denver Broncos, 1995 - present Buffalo Bills | |
| WYATT | |||
| Alvin | CB | 1970 Oakland Raiders, 1970 - 73 Buffalo Bills, 1973 Houston Oilers | |
| Antwuan | WR | 1997 - Philadelphia Eagles | |
| YOUNG | |||
| Willie | T | 1966 - 75 New York Giants | |
| Rodney | S | 1995 - present New York Giants | |