Seeing a set of siblings in the sports world is nothing new. No matter what sport it is, you’ll find family. We have seen families such as the DiMaggios with Joe, Vince and Dom tearing up professional baseball dating back to the 1950s, all the way to the Klitschko brothers collecting heavyweight title belts in the boxing world. Countless families have made their mark in the sports realm and with Serena Williams announcing her retirement, let’s take a look at some of our favorite Superstar Siblings.
1) Serena and Venus Williams
When one thinks of siblings dominating their sport, it’s impossible not to immediately think of Serena and Venus. The Williams sisters are widely referred to as the greatest female tennis players of all time, being referred to as the “Picasso and Monet” of women’s tennis for their skill. Both sisters have a plethora of accomplishments including both holding the title of number one in the world in singles at different points. Venus held this accomplishment for 11 weeks in 2002 while Serena held the accomplishment for a staggering 316 weeks. That is 72.7 months or 6.05 years. The sisters have dominated the doubles circuit together throughout their careers as well. Together, they have won 22 titles and even have 3 Olympic gold medals to their resume. The Williams sisters are without a doubt the greatest sister duo to grace the tennis court but are also viewed as one of the greatest sibling duos of all time, any sport.
2) John and Jim Harbaugh
This nod may seem off to people as the brothers are currently coaches, but coaches are just as pivotal in sports as the players so these two deserve the spot. John, currently the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, bounced around coaching jobs after his playing days. He had stints with programs such as the Pitt Panthers, Morehead State, University of Cincinnati Bearcats, and Indiana University Hoosiers. John made the leap to coaching in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998 as a special teams coach where he stayed for ten seasons before landing the head gig in Baltimore where he would capture a Super Bowl victory. Jim took a little more direct route to coaching in the League. Jim spent 15 seasons in the NFL playing for countless teams. While playing in the league, he assisted his father in scouting and recruiting. After retirement, Jim was brought to the Oakland Raiders where he coached Rich Gannon in 2002, the year Gannon won NFL MVP. Jim went on to coach the San Francisco 49ers, giving us that highly anticipated brother-vs-brother Super Bowl XLVII matchup. Jim Harbaugh is now the well-known head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team with a record of 61-24. The brothers have solidified their place on this list by becoming the first two brothers in NFL history to coach against each other for a championship.
3) J.J., T.J. and Derek Watt
Any modern-day NFL fan knows the Watt name. J.J. Watt was the first brother in the League and immediately made a name for the family by racking up five tackles and a fumble recovery in his very first game with the Houston Texans. J.J. has built a Hall of Fame worthy career for himself, the man is a 3x NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner, led the league is sacks twice, tackles for a loss three times and even led the league in forced fumbles AND defensive touchdowns in separate seasons. Youngest brother T.J. is proving to be just as much of a monster. T.J. was an NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist in 2019 and 2020 before capturing the award in 2021 as he tied the NFL record for sacks in a year with 22.5 in a season. T.J. also led the league in tackles for a loss, quarterback hits, and sacks (obviously) the past two seasons, a clear powerhouse that is only getting started. Middle brother Derek also is signed onto an NFL roster. Derek was drafted in 2016 by the then San Diego Chargers and now plays alongside T.J. with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The odds of a college athlete making it to the professional level are listed at 1.6% while the odds of a child in youth football making it to the Big Time is as little as 0.2%. The Watt family has defied those odds immensely.
4) Joey and Nick Bosa
Oddly enough, our next set of Superior Siblings in Sports are also defensive monsters in the NFL. Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa both hail from THE Ohio State University and were both highly touted coming out of college after playing for the Buckeyes. Joey was selected third overall by the then-San Diego Chargers. Joey has been a problem for opposing offenses since entering the league, having double-digit sack seasons in four out of his first six. Joey also found himself having a career year last season once again, tallying 7 forced fumbles on the year- good for the number two spot in the league. A contract with the Los Angeles Chargers that will add up to $135,000,000 through 2025 isn’t a bad career achievement either. Nick, Joey’s younger brother by three years, has quickly made a household name for himself as well. Chosen as the number 2 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Nick has already led the league in a statistical category when he racked up 21 Tackles for Loss in 2021. Nick is still on his rookie contract, with the San Francisco 49ers picking up the fifth-year option, but expect a contract similar to his brother’s very soon.
5) Dalvin Cook and James Cook III
Rushing their way into the Running Back Realm of our Superstar Siblings List, this will be the first season that brothers Dalvin Cook and James Cook will be playing on the professional level together. Dalvin, a Florida State Seminoles standout who attended the same high school as Devonta Freeman, another former Seminoles star, played at FSU from 2014 through 2016 under Coach Jimbo Fisher. Dalvin dazzled on the field for the Noles becoming 2014 ACC Championship MVP and bookending his time in Tallahassee with a win over Michigan in the 2016 Orange Bowl. That year he also broke Warrick Dunn‘s Single Season Career Rushing Record of 3,959 yards. After the Orange Bowl win, Cook announced that he was going to forgo his senior season with the Seminoles to join the 2017 NFL Draft. He was selected in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings and has remained with the team for the past 5 seasons. Dalvin’s younger brother James Cook III was initially committed, after his FRESHMAN year of high school, to follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a Florida State Seminole. He later decommitted the summer before his senior year and decided to land in Athens, Georgia with the University of Georgia Bulldogs, charting a course into the history books. As a senior for the Dawgs in 2021, he rushed for 728 yards and 7 TDs plus caught 27 passes for 284 yds and 4 touchdowns- culminating with a National Championship win in Indianapolis over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Declaring for the NFL Draft in 2022, James was drafted also in the 2nd round but by the Buffalo Bills. During Week 10 of the 2022 NFL Season, the Cook brothers will be running against each other in Buffalo and we can’t wait to see how the National Champion Cook will fare this season against his Fantasy Football Favorite brother.
6) Peyton and Eli Manning
These two may be retired from playing but with a heavy New York Giants bias and the two hosting their own Monday Night Football analysis, they’re still getting the final nod on my list. Peyton Manning, hailing from the University of Tennessee Volunteers played with the Indianapolis Colts for the majority of his illustrious career, ending his time on the field with the Denver Broncos, leading them to victory in Super Bowl 50 making him the first starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl with more than one NFL team. He will go down as one of the best to ever do it, there is no NFL fan who is not aware of him. A host to multiple NFL records, two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time NFL MVP, two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, fourteen-time Pro Bowler, seven-time First-Team All-Pro, and of course 2007 Super Bowl XLI MVP. Peyton Manning has a better career accolade list than your created Madden NFL player does- he was THAT good. Eli, the New York Giants legend, may not have had the blockbuster career of his older brother, but he wasn’t a slouch. Eli holds the Giants franchise record book slots for passing yards, touchdown passes and completions. Eli also proved to be an ironman player, currently holding the third-longest consecutive starts streak by an NFL quarterback. Ranked 8th in NFL history for passing yards and 9th in touchdowns, a two-time champion over Tom Brady and the NFL record for passing yards in a singular postseason, Eli was still that dude.
Who are your top picks for Dynamic Duos or Trios of Super Siblings? Let us know in the comments below.
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