Throughout the world of sports, there are some families that have dominated so much that their names, or at least their surnames, have become permanently imprinted into the minds of anyone who loves the game. These names have become synonymous with their respective sports because of the levels of success and domination which they have found within their sporting disciplines.
It is somewhat surprising that the sons of many sports stars go on to become legends in their own right, given the amount of pressure which they no doubt carry on their shoulders. Despite the shadow looming behind them however, the following sports stars have taking the surname to the next level in their sport and emulated their father’s success.
Elways
Both father Jack Elway and his son John have left a huge mark on the sport of football and whilst Jack lied his trade in the coaching department at college level, son John would go on to become one of the best QBs to have ever played the sport. John won back to back Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos as a player and then once more as general manager before being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Nortons
Whilst they may have crossed sports, the Norton name will live on in many minds for a very long time. Father Ken Norton was a monster in the boxing ring boasting a career filled with 33 knockouts and one which saw him become the Heavyweight Champion of the world after beating Muhammed Ali. Son Ken Norton junior chose football instead and it turned out be a wise choice after he became the first NFL player to win 3 Super Bowls back to back and a fourth Super Bowl as a coach in 2014.
Bryants
Many people consider Kobe Bryant to be the greatest basketball player of all time thanks to his career with the LA Lakers where he became the leader and talisman that lead them through a golden generation which saw the franchise lift 5 NBA Championships. Kobe’s inspiration came from his father Joe ;Jellybean’ Bryant who played for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 70s with great success.
Mannings
The Mannings are like royalty in NFL circles thanks to a trio of family members leaving their mark on the game. Father Archie Manning was an exciting quarterback who would draw large crowds to come and see him play. His sons Eli and Peyton however, would take the entire football world to new heights. Between the brothers they won 4 Super Bowl Championships and hold a huge amount of franchise and league records. Peyton Manning is considered to be the greatest QB of all time and brother Eli is not far behind him. When one thinks of great footballing families, it is the Mannings who everyone thinks of.
Notable Mentions :
Barry and Bobby Bonds
Yanick and Joakim Noah
Bobby and Brett Hull
Dale Eanardt Snr and Jnr