Brothers in the NFL is quite common

There are over 300 sets of brothers who have played football in the NFL.  Now there is an interesting occurrence for the nature vs. nurture debaters.  It leaves one reflecting on just what a little athletic ability and a strong 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. 

Brendan Ayanbadejo is a study in determination.  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 let him go 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. 

Tiki Barber has had a difficult challenge to make his way in the world of football.  Although college football recruiting were aware of his talent, after playing NCAA football for the University of Virginia, he was at the start told that he was too small to make headlines in the NFL.  Though he is only five foot ten inches, in Tikis ninth season with the NFL he was the leader for total yards gained.  He has won his case to the world that talent, hard work, and determination have more to do with performance than height does. 

Peyton and Eli Manning have one advantage over other brother duos in the NFL.  Their father, Archie Manning, was a football star in his own right and obviously passed on his athletic prowess and thrill for the game to his sons.  Archie was nominated for the Heisman Trophy twice and became the 1971 second pick overall in the NFL draft . 

Despite the fact that Peyton Manning is older and unquestionably more mature in his game than brother Eli, but Eli is well known for his 4^th quarter grit and stamina to the end.  Peyton has been well known for his leadership and star quality for several years but Eli is also progressing in this area.  The Manning brothers are a class act that many pro football players could learn from.

In February of 2005 brothers Tiki and Ronde Barber got the opportunity to be on the same team at the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii.  Tiki is retiring after this season and has plans to move into a career in broadcasting.  Ronde has recently signed a five year contract extension and says he plans to keep on to play pro football for leastways the near future.  The Barber brothers will both be in the public eye for several years to come.

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. 

Eli and Peyton Manning squared off in the only NFL game to feature two brothers as starting quarterbacks on opposite teams.  And obviously, due to their family tradition and the fact that they both are quarterbacks, there have been lots of comparisons made between the two.  Both brothers have formed names for themselves on their college football teams and behave themselves well on the field and off the field and are well thought of by all. 

Tiki and Ronde Barber, one of the three hundred or so pairs of football players who are brothers, are alone in that they are twins who have had the chance to face one another in games in the past.  Ronde plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tiki is a teammate to Eli Manning with the New York Giants.  When in college, college bowl games were the Barber brothers motivation, but they have moved on to bigger and better things.