With Father's Day weekend upon us, here's a look at some pairings of college football players with fathers who played in the NFL. There are more such father-son tandems than are listed here, but these represent some of the most notable names. Players are listed alphabetically.
Larry Allen Jr., OG, Harvard
His dad: Larry Allen
Notable: Larry Allen Jr. is a two-time All-Ivy League offensive guard at Harvard. At 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, he's not quite as big as his father, but is very talented. In fact, an AFC scout told College Football 24/7 that junior could play for any program in the country. Former Dallas Cowboys guard Larry Allen was selected to 11 Pro Bowls, won a Super Bowl title in SBXXX, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Thomas Barber, LB, Minnesota
His dad: Marion Barber
Notable: Playing for the school where his father and two brothers came before him, Thomas Barber saw action in 11 games as a true freshman last year as a backup. He's expected to step into a much bigger role for the Golden Gophers this fall. His father was a second-round pick of the New York Jets in 1981, where he played seven seasons. Marion's other sons, Marion Barber III and Dom Barber, played for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, respectively.
Baylen Buchanan, DB, Tennessee
His dad: Ray Buchanan
Notable: Buchanan made an immediate contribution as a freshman last year, recording 20 tackles for the Volunteers, including eight against rival Alabama. Although he wasn't projected as a starter coming out of spring drills, he's not far off. In fact, the UT coaching staff showed some trust in him last year as he made his first career start against rival Georgia. His father was a 12-year NFL cornerback, mostly with the Colts and Falcons, who made 47 career interceptions.
Luke Del Rio, QB, Florida
His dad: Jack Del Rio
Notable: Luke Del Rio enters his final college season as Florida's most experienced quarterback. A winding road of transfers led him from Alabama to Oregon State to UF, where he'll compete to be the starter this fall, coming off of shoulder surgery. Jack Del Rio, the Oakland Raiders' head coach, played 11 NFL seasons, most notably with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1994 season.
Jeff George Jr., QB, Illinois
His dad: Jeff George
Notable: Injuries pressed George Jr. into action last year for four games, all in Big Ten play. He completed 38 of 94 passes as the Illini went 1-3 against Michigan, Minnesota, Michigan State (win) and Wisconsin. He'll compete this fall with Chayce Crouch, who was ahead of George on the depth chart last year, and JuCo transfer Dwayne Lawson. His father was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1990 draft by the Indianapolis Colts. The elder George was known for his remarkable arm strength, but he struggled with consistency and was traded to the Atlanta Falcons after four seasons. He ended up playing for seven different teams.
Michael Irvin II, TE, Miami
His dad: Michael Irvin
Notable: Irvin II played sparingly as a freshman last year as a special-teams contributor. With David Njoku's exit to the pro ranks, veteran Chris Herndon is expected to step in as the Hurricanes' primary tight end, but Irvin has a strong opportunity for playing time as the No. 2. His father starred at Miami and then with the Dallas Cowboys as five-time Pro Bowler who compiled nearly 12,000 career receiving yards. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion in Dallas and a 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Van Jefferson, WR, Ole Miss
His dad: Shawn Jefferson
Notable: Jefferson was a key member of Ole Miss' deep receiving corps last year, making 49 catches for 543 yards while playing in a slot role. He'll be a third-year sophomore this fall and a primary target for up-and-coming QB Shea Patterson. His father, Shawn, played 13 years in the NFL. He was drafted in the ninth round in 1991 by the Houston Oilers, but never played for Houston as he was traded to the San Diego Chargers before his rookie season. Jefferson is now the Miami Dolphins' wide receivers coach.
Rayshad Lewis, WR, transferring to Maryland
His dad: Ray Lewis
Notable: Lewis stepped in as a true freshman for Utah State last year and played extensively, catching 40 passes for 476 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He'll look to build on that at a new school, as he announced last month that he will transfer to the University of Maryland. His father, Ray Lewis, was one of the great NFL linebackers of his time. A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens, he amassed 13 Pro Bowl selections over a 17-year career that ended in 2012.
Dylan McCaffrey, QB, Michigan
His dad: Ed McCaffrey
Notable: Dylan McCaffrey was part of Michigan's most recent signing class as a four-star recruit from Valor Christian High in Colorado, where he won back-to-back state titles in 2015 and 2016. Ed McCaffrey, who just saw another of his sons, Christian, selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, played 13 NFL seasons and is a three-time Super Bowl champion. His best years came in Denver, where he posted three 1,000-yard seasons in a row from 1998-2000.
Kahlil McKenzie, DT, Tennessee
His dad: Reggie McKenzie
Notable: The younger McKenzie's sophomore season was cut short by a pectoral muscle injury suffered against Alabama, but he is considered one of the most promising players on the UT defense. He's expected to start this fall as a junior. Reggie McKenzie played inside linebacker with the Oakland Raiders from 1985-1988. He's now the Oakland Raiders' general manager, and was voted NFL Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America in January.
Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU
His dad: Randy Moss
Notable: Moss began his college career at North Carolina State, where he had a limited impact last year with only six catches. He announced in April that he'll transfer to LSU, but under NCAA rules, he'll have to sit out in 2017 before taking the field for the Tigers in 2018. His dad was one of the NFL's all-time greats at wide receiver. The six-time Pro Bowler was recently inducted in to the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor, and his 15,292 career receiving yards rank third in NFL history.
Lorenzo Neal, DT, Purdue
His dad: Lorenzo Neal
Notable: Neal was a freshman reserve on the Boilermakers defensive line last year and saw action in seven games. He missed spring practice due to an injury, but should be counted on more heavily this fall. His father by the same name was a 16-year pro with seven different clubs as a fullback, and reached three consecutive Pro Bowls with the San Diego Chargers.
Austin Proehl, WR, North Carolina
His dad: Ricky Proehl
Notable: Austin Proehl caught 43 passes for 597 yards at UNC last year, and tied a career high with seven grabs in the Tar Heels' Sun Bowl loss to Stanford. His dad had a 17-year NFL career as a wide receiver that began with the Phoenix Cardinals as a third-round draft pick in 1990. He caught 54 career TD passes and played in four Super Bowls, winning two of them (XLI, XXXIV). Ricky stamped this father-son bond earlier this year when he stepped down as the Carolina Panthers wide receivers coach so he could attend games in Austin's final college season.
Nigel Warrior, DB, Tennessee
His dad: Dale Carter
Notable: As a backup defensive back and special teams player last year, Warrior made 22 tackles for the Volunteers in his freshman season. This year, he's been projected to take over a starting safety role for UT and drew high praise from defensive coordinator Bob Shoop in spring practice. Carter, who starred at UT, was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs. He made 24 career interceptions over 12 seasons while playing for five different clubs.
Antoine Winfield Jr., DB, Minnesota
His dad: Antoine Winfield
Notable: Winfield Jr. made nine starts as a true freshman for the Golden Gophers last season, recording 52 tackles, and returning an interception 82 yards for a TD against Maryland. It was the kind of impact few would have expected of a two-star recruit, but given his family pedigree, perhaps it shouldn't have surprised anyone. His father was a 1999 first-round pick out of Ohio State, played 14 NFL seasons and was selected to three Pro Bowls.
