If you're looking for brothers in the NFL you'll definitely find them!
Brendan Ayanbadejo is quite an example of willpower. Even with all of his talent, he was overlooked by college football recruiters after high school and then by the NFL after college. So he kept on toward his goal. Three NFL football teams cut him and so he played for the Canadian League, the European League, and now finally has some recognition and stability with the Chicago Bears after being traded by the Dolphins in 2005.
Both brothers Femi and Brendon Ayanbadejo were undrafted free agents when they finally were picked up by NFL coaches with an eye for talent. The brothers were given a brief opportunity to be teammates for the Miami Dolphins in 2003 but since that is not the situation any longer they have been faced off against one another in their NFL careers three times. Femi and Brendon say that it is not a problem for them because once the time commences running on the board their eye is on the prize of winning the game.
There are over 300 sets of brothers who have played football in the NFL. Now there is an interesting observable fact for the nature vs. nurture debaters. It leaves one thinking about just what a little athletic talent and a committed love for the game can do in the heart of a small boy as hes developing into a man. There is even one set brothers who made headlines back in 2005 as NFL officiates.
Mike and Don Carey became the first brothers to referee an NFL game together. Seven pairs of brothers have had the chance to play together as teammates in the NFL Pro Bowl game that is played in Hawaii every year. Tiki and Ronde Barber are the only set of twins to have had that honor. The thought of brothers being able to play one of the most intensely competitive sports together is really a thrilling possibility to families whose lives are intertwined with athletics.
Obafemi Devin and Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo are Irish-Nigerian brothers who have made names for themselves playing NFL football . Obafemi, or Femi, has chosen to be known by his Nigerian name and Brendon is known by his Irish name. Older than his brother by eighteen months, Femi plays running back for the Arizona Cardinals and younger brother Brendon is a linebacker for the Chicago Bears.
Twins, Tiki and Ronde Barber were born prematurely and were small and weak. This proved to only feed the brothers willpower to make it to the pros and now has rendered material for their newest venture jointly. The Barber brothers have written several childrens books that focus on encouraging kids to work out their aspirations and reach for the stars.
Eli and Peyton Manning squared off in the first NFL game to showcase two football players who are brothers as starting quarterbacks on opposite teams. And naturally, because of their family heritage and the fact that they both are quarterbacks, there have been numerous comparisons made between the two. The brothers made names for themselves on their college football teams and carry themselves well on the field and off the field and are looked up to by all.
Despite the fact that Peyton Manning is older and decidedly more mature in his game, younger brother Eli is well known for his 4th quarter grit and stamina to the end. Peyton has been well known for his leadership and star quality for some time but Eli is also seeing development in this area. The Manning brothers are a class act that many pro football players could learn from.
The Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl both made for a big year for Brendan Ayanbadejo, and his brother Femi is cheering for him the whole way. Big brother Femi was recognized and picked up by an NFL team more speedily than Brendan but is as happy for his brother as if it were happening for him. And in a way it is when you are as close to your brother and these two are. Now Femi is playing for the Cardinals but that doesnt seem to make any difference to these two. Your success is my success seems to be the catch phrase that these two brothers live by.
