Pro Athletes and Their Spawn: 2019 Edition

Every year I take a look at the prospects from that class who have famous fathers (usually athletes) and are signing with big-time college football programs. Here’s a look back over the years (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012).

Here’s this year’s crop:

Keevan Bailey – CB – Conyers (GA) Salem: Bailey is a 6’1″, 175 lb. prospect who signed with Colorado State. He’s a 3-star, the #108 cornerback, and #1123 overall. I couldn’t help giggling a little bit at this first clip, as the big boy chasing Bailey after the INT is looking left and right to make sure nobody blindsides him . . . and then he gets crushed anyway (LINK). Anyway, Keevan is the son of cornerback Champ Bailey and the nephew of linebacker Boss Bailey, both of whom went to Georgia. Champ is an NFL Hall of Famer after being a 1st round pick (#7 overall) of the Washington Redskins in 1999 and then going on to a 15-year career with the Redskins and Denver Broncos. He finished his career with 908 tackles, 203 pass breakups, and 52 interceptions, and he made the Pro Bowl 12 times.

Dominick Blaylock – WR – Marietta (GA) Walton: Blaylock is a 6’1″, 195 lb. prospect who signed with Georgia in December; he also had offers from Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #5 wide receiver, and #36 overall, and he played in the All-American Bowl. His father, Mookie, played point guard at Oklahoma and became a 1st round pick (#12 overall) of the New Jersey Nets in 1989. He became an excellent defender and an all-star, averaging 13.5 points per game, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists from 1989-2002 with the Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and Golden State Warriors.

Kam Brown WR – Coffeyville (TX) Heritage: Brown is a 6’0″, 175 lb. early enrollee at Texas A&M. He’s a 4-star, the #29 wide receiver, and #203 overall. Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and Notre Dame also offered during the process. As a junior in 2017, he caught 71 passes for 1,147 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s the son of Larry Brown, who played college ball at TCU before becoming a 12th round pick (#320 overall) in the 1991 NFL Draft, picked by the Dallas Cowboys. He would go on to win three Super Bowls, and he was named MVP of Super Bowl XXX after intercepting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell twice in the victory. He made 317 tackles, 14 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns in his eight-year career with the Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings.

Tate Hallock – S – Grand Rapids (MI) Forest Hills Central: Hallock is a 6’3″, 185-pounder who signed with Michigan State. Aside from the MSU, Iowa State, and Cincinnati offers, he was mostly recruited by the MAC. He’s a 3-star, the #73 athlete, and #1012 overall. He intends to play safety for the Spartans, but he could very well grow into a linebacker. Older brother Tanner already plays for the Spartans. Their father, Ty, played fullback, tight end, and linebacker at Michigan State and became a 7th round draft pick (#174 overall) of the Detroit Lions in 1993. I remember as a kid going to see a Detroit Lions charity basketball game when Hallock participated. Hallock’s career spanned from 1993-2000 with the Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears, and he scored 4 career touchdowns (3 receiving, 1 rushing).

Chris Hinton, Jr. – DT – Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian: Hinton is a 6’3″, 280 lb. prospect who signed with Michigan in December. Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, and USC also offered. He’s a 5-star, the #4 defensive tackle, and #31 overall, and he was an All-American Bowl participant. His father, Chris, played at Northwestern and became a 1st round pick of the Baltimore Colts (#4 overall) in 1983, beginning a career that would span 13 seasons with the Colts, Atlanta Falcons, and Minnesota Vikings. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl seven times. Chris is also the brother of 2020 offensive tackle Myles Hinton, who is committed to Stanford.

Luke McCaffrey – QB – Littleton (CO) Valor Christian: McCaffrey is a 6’2″, 183-pounder who enrolled at Nebraska in January. He’s a 4-star, the #13 athlete, and #257 overall. Michigan, Ohio State, and Washington offered, along with the two in-state state schools. He’s the son of wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (Stanford, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos) and the brother of running back Christian McCaffrey (Stanford, Carolina Panthers) and quarterback Dylan McCaffrey (Michigan). Mom and grandpa were also great athletes. If you want to know more about the whole family, use Google.

Terique Owens – WR – San Pablo (CA) Contra Costa Community College: Owens is a 6’3″, 175 lb. wide receiver who was initially interested in basketball before starting to play football late in high school. After one year at CCCC, he is transferring to FAU. His father, Terrell, is a Hall of Fame wide receiver from Chattanooga who was a 3rd round pick (#89 overall) of the San Francisco 49ers in 1996. He played fifteen years for the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals, finishing his career with 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards (14.8 yards/catch) and 153 receiving touchdowns, the latter of which is #3 all-time.

Joey Porter, Jr. – CB – Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: Porter is a 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect who signed with Penn State in December. He’s a 4-star, the #33 cornerback, and #324 overall. He claims a 4.69 forty, a 4.25 shuttle, and a 31″ vertical. His father, also Joey, is a California native who played college football at Colorado State, where he made 22 career sacks, including 15 during his senior year alone. He became a 3rd round pick (#73 overall) in the 1999 NFL Draft and played 13 seasons in the NFL with the Steelers, Dolphins, and Cardinals. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player and ended his career with 667 tackles, 98 sacks, 26 forced fumbles, 12 interceptions, and 3 career touchdowns. He is now the outside linebackers coach for the Steelers.

Shilo Sanders – CB – Cedar Hill (TX) Trinity Christian: Sanders is a 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect who signed with South Carolina in February. Florida State, Georgia, and Oregon pursued him, too. He’s a 3-star, the #62 cornerback, and #666 (yikes!) overall, and he was an Under Armour All-American. His dad, Deion Sanders, has too many accolades to list, but he’s a Pro Football Hall of Famer and a College Football Hall of Famer after football careers with Florida State, the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Baltimore Ravens. He was a 1st round pick (#5 overall) of the Falcons in 1989, he made 53 career interceptions, and he scored 10 defensive touchdowns and 9 return touchdowns in his pro career. Oh, by the way, he also played Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Falcons. Shedeur Sanders, a 2021 prospect and a younger brother of Shilo, has been offered by Michigan.

Michael “Dino” Tomlin – WR – Pittsburgh (PA) Shady Side: Tomlin is a 6’0″, 175 lb. wideout who signed with Maryland. He’s a 3-star, the #130 wide receiver, and #1171 overall. He claims a 4.52 forty, a 4.25 shuttle, and a 35″ vertical. His dad, Mike, played at William & Mary before embarking on a football coaching career that has taken him, among other places, to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator and now the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. He has compiled a 131-71-1 record with the Steelers since 2007, when he replaced long-time coach Bill Cowher.

Warren Sapp II – DE – Winter Garden (FL) Foundation Academy: Sapp is a 6’1″, 220 lb. prospect who plans to blueshirt at FAU. I found an article stating that he had 12.5 sacks through four games of his senior year and ended up with 24 total, but colleges still weren’t beating down the door, and he doesn’t appear to have a profile on 247 Sports. His father, Warren, attended Apopka High School in Florida before being recruited to Miami, where he became a 1st round pick (#12 overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995. Now a Hall of Famer, Sapp made 573 tackles, 96.5 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions, and 3 touchdowns during a 13-year career with the Bucs and the Raiders. He was also the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.

Makiya Tongue – WR – Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab: Tongue is a 4-star, the #9 athlete, and #196 overall. He signed with Georgia in the early signing period. His father, Reggie Tongue, went to Oregon State and was a 2nd round draft pick (#58 overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1996. He played ten years in the NFL for the Chiefs, Seahawks, Jets, and Raiders, amassing 333 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles.

Let me know if there are any players I missed in the 2019 class.

What are your memories of these famous dads?

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