Chris Long, coming of####reat NFL combine, is being mentioned as the possible number one overall draft pick in next month's NFL draft. The UVA standout is, of course, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long. This got me to thinking about fathers and sons who played in the NFL. Over 150 father son combos have played in the league. I'm just going to focus on those in which one or the other made the HOF.

Chris and Howie Long.

 

In most of the HOF father son combos it was the father who made the HOF. The only two I could find in which the son went into the Hall were John Hannah and Bruce Matthews, two AFC tough guys. John's father, Herb, played one season in the NFL. Bruce's father, Clay, played four seasons with the 49ers back in the 1950s. Bruce's brother, also named Clay, is a HOF possibility. The only other son going into the Hall in the near future is Archie's boy, Peyton Manning.

        Bruce Matthews                                John Hannah

The  list of men in the NFL Hall of Fame who have sons that also played in the league is not very long. It includes Dave Wilcox, a 49er LB from 64-74. His son, Josh played for two tears in the late 1990s. Cowboy legend,Tony Dorsett's son, Anthony played from 1996-2003. Ronnie Lott's son, Ryan Nece, has played for the Bucs for the last six years. Bob Griese's boy, Brian, is still carrying a clipboard on the NFL sidelines. Bear great, Walter Payton's son, Jarrett, played a year for the Titans.

Don Shula made the Hall as a coach, but he played a few years back in the 50s, and he had two sons suit up in the NFL, David and Mike. One other special case is Kellen Winslow Jr.,  he is the only current player who might have a chance to join the old man in the HOF.

               Dave, Don, and Mike Shula