NFL draft prospects follow in footsteps of famous fathers

INDIANAPOLIS — Near the end of Brenden Rice's media session at the NFL combine, he received a question from a familiar face.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams joined the fray and asked his college teammate a familiar question.

“How does it feel to be Jerry Rice’s son?”

Rice, with a big smile on his face, responded, “Man, it's even better to be a teammate of Caleb Williams.

The pressure, opportunities and recognition that come with having a family member succeed in the NFL were on display throughout Friday morning as quarterbacks, receivers and running backs spoke with the media. For Rice, the advice he gets from his Hall of Fame father is to be aware of what the name brings, but not to overthink it so it doesn't become a distraction.

“GOOD, [my dad] always says, “Yeah, you have a last name, so you have a target on your back.” So, make sure you stay in the present moment. Don’t make the moment too big and don’t overthink it and you’ll be fine,” Rice said.

Southern Miss running back Frank Gore Jr. takes a similar mindset. Although his father's playing career ended in 2020, Gore Sr. is now on the staff of the San Francisco 49ers as a football personnel advisor. The Gores saw each other as they passed through the halls throughout combine week and spoke on the phone.

Gore said having the same name as his father, who rushed for 16,000 yards and played for five teams, is meaningful and something to lean on.

“I'm not going to hide my name. I am who I am,” Gore Jr. said. “It's a blessing to have this name. So I won't say I'm not happy to have this name. He had that name; he made it what it is. So now I have the responsibility to go further.”

Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, whose NFL lineage includes his brother Christian McCaffrey and their father, Ed McCaffrey, echoed Gore's sentiment.

“I have a quote that I love. It's, 'This is the greatest blessing I've ever had and ever deserved,'” Luke McCaffrey said. “I was lucky to have my heroes like my three brothers, my mother and my father. Having these people, these influences in your life, especially at an early age, and then growing up, has been nothing but what a blessing, has shaped me in so many different ways.

Another draft prospect who has big shoes to fill is Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is expected to peak in next month's draft but did not take the floor Friday during his scheduled session.

Many connections will be made between young athletes and the family members who came before them, but Rice and Gore gave examples of what sets them apart.

“Size, man. Size and speed. We joke all the time. I'm bigger and faster,” Rice said.

Although Gore Jr. noted the similarities as a runner between him and his father, he also noted differences.

“More agile,” Gore Jr. said. “A little more lateral movement. He's more of a hitter.”

When it came to potentially playing on the same teams as their fathers, everyone was open to the possibility, but even Rice said his father would be just fine if he played for one of his old rivals, even the Dallas Cowboys.

“He says, ‘Man, I’m going to cheer for you no matter what,’” Rice said. “It doesn’t matter where you are.”