It's all in the genes for these brothers

Eli and Peyton Manning have recently faced off in the only NFL game to showcase two brothers as starting quarterbacks on opposing teams.  Since they hold the same position on their respective teams, there have been plenty of comparisons made between the two.  Both men are known to be leaders and hard workers.  Peyton especially is known as a work horse, being extremely dedicated to his career and improving his game.  Eli is recognized as having tons of pure athletic talent and skill and because of how young he is there is plenty of time for him to grow.  Perhaps he will become as dedicated to hard work as Peyton is.  The combination of the two would make a winner that can't be beaten.  Both of the Manning brothers are classy and many pro football players could take a lesson from them.

 

Twins Tiki and Ronde Barber are different than other sets of football players who are brothers in that they were the first twins who were teammates for the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Ronde now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tiki is a teammate to Eli Manning with the New York Giants.  Even though Tiki has already begun the process of moving into retirement and Ronde plans to stay with pro football, these brothers will still be close for many years to come.  They have recently completed several children's books together and plan future projects together.

 

Irish-Nigerian brothers Obafemi Devin and Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo are men with unusual names and unusual talent.  They have created reputations for themselves in the world of NFL football. Femi (as he has chosen to be known by his Nigerian name) and Brendon are both talented but had to work their way up the ladder the hard way.  The brothers were given a short chance to be teammates for the Miami Dolphins in 2003 but since that has changed they have been faced off against one another in their NFL careers three times.  Femi and Brendon say that it is not an issue for them because once the time starts running on the board their eye is on the prize of winning the game.

 

*One might think that two brothers playing NFL football might strain relationships, causing the brothers to be tense and competitive with one another.  The Manning brothers say that nothing could be further from the truth for them.  Younger brother Eli looks up to Peyton and admires what he has done.  He watches his older brother pave the way for him and demonstrate leadership qualities and principles.  The same is true for Brendan and Femi Ayanbadejo.  The brothers say their relationship has never been stronger.  They cheer one another on in every endeavor and only wish for the others loss when their teams go head to head!

 

Peyton and Eli Manning have one advantage over other brother duos in the NFL.  Their father, Archie Manning, was a football whiz in his own right and obviously shared his athletic talent and passion for the sport to his sons.  Archie was nominated for the Heisman Trophy twice and became the 1971 second pick overall in the NFL draft .  Archie is still admired at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, even with a less than stellar career in the NFL.  The speed limit on campus is still eighteen miles per hour in honor of Archie, whose jersey number was eighteen.  He had what it took to be a leader and star footballer and obviously what it took to raise sons in their fathers footsteps. 

 

With over 300 sets of brothers who have played football in the NFL, it certainly sets one to pondering the relationship between nature and nurture.  What athletic talent and a passion for football can do in the heart of a small boy is truly awe inspiring as those same boys become men with mature skill and vision. In fact, there is one pair of brothers who have made headlines as the first NFL officiates to referee an NFL game together. Only seven sets of brothers have played as teammates in the NFL Pro Bowl game that is held in Hawaii every year.  Tiki and Ronde Barber are the only pair of twins to have been able to compete together. 

 

Brendon Ayanbadejo has had a much more difficult time to career recognition than other pro football players have.  Even though it is obvious to the world now that he has talent, he was initially ignored by college football recruiters and then again by the NFL.  But all of the rejections didn't slow this motivated player down. After the discouragement of three NFL football teams cutting him, Brendon decided to keep on playing the game without the NFL.  He chose to play for the Canadian League and then the European League during his years of working toward his dream and now finally has security and is in a good place with the Chicago Bears.  Brendon had an exciting year competing in both the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl and his brother Femi is cheering him on. While Femi has been rooting for his brother, he was more quickly recognized and picked by an NFL team.  Even though his success came more rapidly than it did for Brendan, Femi is as pleased for his brother as if it were happening for him. Brotherly love is the real thing for these guys.