Like father, like son: our All-Fathers and All-Sons teams prove that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

TONY DORSETE LAWrence McCutcheon, and Chuck Foreman each rushed for more than 1.000 yards in 1977. Now, 25 years later, their sons take the field on Sundays. Ironically, though, Anthony Dorsett, Daylon McCutcheon, and Jay Foreman all wound up playing defense.

Altogether, 34 sons of former NFL and AFL players made opening-day rosters this season, 11 of whom were rookies. With many more sons of former NFL players in the college ranks, that number is sure to keep climbing.

All the new additions made it relatively easy for us to complete our Fathers and Sons all-star teams; the accompanying charts reveal the top dads and kids at each position.

Picking the quarterback for the Sons team was no problem. Although Brian Griese is solid, Peyton Manning gets the nod. The Indianapolis Colts star was named to two Pro Bowls in his first four years and will really come of age if his team can ever get its defense together.

Manning says that his dad Archie, a two-time Pro Bowler himself, never pressured him to play football. "He wasn't going to come to us and say, `All right, you do this, you do that,'" says Manning. "It was more, `Hey, Dad, will you come and play some catch with us?' He was always very helpful and supportive. I think that's why still today I have a love for football, because it was fun for me as a kid. I've always had a true love for sports, and I think that's because of the way my dad handled things."

That love also was passed on to Peyton's younger brother Eli, who's now a junior quarterback at Ole Miss. It shouldn't be long before Eli joins Peyton in the NFL.

It's rare, though, that so many members from a family wind up playing the same position. The 5'10", 185-pound Daylon McCutcheon, who lines up at cornerback for the Cleveland Browns, felt he was better-suited physically for that position than the one his old man played. "I know I'll never be as big as my dad, so cornerback was a more logical position for me than running back," he says. "People think I chose defense to avoid having to be compared to my father, but that's not so. People love to see the long run, the deep ball. I love to see interceptions. I love to see fumble recoveries."

Grant Irons, a rookie defensive end with the Buffalo Bills, switched positions for a similar reason. His dad Gerald was a linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons in the 1970s.

"A linebacker was what I always wanted to be," says Grant, who played for Notre Dame. "I looked at my father, and that's what I wanted to be. But as time went on and my body matured, when I looked in the mirror, everything said, `Defensive end.' Now I like this position even more than linebacker."

One position sons of former NFL players don't seem to like is running back. That was most difficult position to fill for our Sons team. Great running backs abound on the Fathers' side, but we had to scrounge when it came to the Sons'. One of the backs we settled on was Jim Kiick, who was a fine complement to Larry Csonka with the great Miami Dolphins teams of the early 1970s. Jim's father George was a defensive back-running back-linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940 and `45.

Our other running back on the Sons team is Matt Suhey. His career rushing high was just 681 yards (in 1983), but he provided great blocking and was a solid pass-catcher for the Chicago Bears. He also was part of their championship team in 1985.

Suhey was the NFL's first third-generation player. His father Steve Suhey (1948-49) and grandfather Bob Higgins (1920-23) both played in the league. Colts offensive lineman Jim Pyne is the only other third-generation player. His dad George III (1965) and grandfather George II (1931) both played professionally.

Eric Metcalf drew some consideration at running back for the Sons squad. But he spent about half his career at wide receiver, where he performed better. In fact, he made the team at that position, along with George Sauer Jr., who was one of Joe Namath's favorite `targets on some excellent New York Jets teams.

The shortage of second-generation running backs probably won't last long. Some promising ones should join the league in the coming years. Gerald Riggs Jr., whose dad ran for more than 8,000 career yards with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins, is a freshman running back at the University of Tennessee. The younger Riggs runs behind the child of another former NFL great. Anthony Munoz's son Michael starts at offensive tackle for the Vols, the same position his Hall of Fame dad played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Another great Falcons running back from the 1980s has a son brimming with potential. Micah Andrews, William Andrews' son, plays high school football in the Atlanta area. Several colleges are hotly pursuing the senior running back.

The University of Miami seems to be Sons Central, featuring the offspring of two Hall-of-Famers: sophomore tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. and junior running back Jarrett Payton. Jarrett, the son of the great Walter Payton, has been slowed by injuries throughout his college career and probably won't make it in the NFL.

If Winslow Jr. reaches the big time, though, he could help fill another weak spot on our teams: tight end. Winslow Jr.'s presence in the NFL would mean his dad could replace Aaron Thomas on the Fathers team. And Winslow Jr. himself wouldn't have much difficulty stepping into the tight end spot on the Sons team. That position currently is being held by Kris Mangum, a backup for most of his career who's on our team by default.

We also could use some better specialists. In addition to punting, Danny White (son of Wilford White) also turned in a strong career at quarterback. But no other specialist experienced much success. Bobby Howfield (father of Ian Howfield) managed to play seven seasons as a kicker with the Denver Broncos and Jets, but we couldn't find a single punter for the Fathers team.

Some positions are loaded with talent. Like we said, Peyton Manning, Brian Griese, Bert Jones, Danny White, and Jeff Kemp make up a formidable group on the Sons' side. As for the Fathers', Archie Manning, Jack Kemp, and Bob Griese all had stellar careers. We gave the nod to Griese in a close call.

Also loaded is the running back position on the Fathers team. It starts with the Hall-of-Famer Tony Dorsett, who ran for 12,739 career yards; Chuck Foreman edged out Lawrence McCutcheon for the other spot. McCutcheon had slightly better rushing numbers, but Foreman's outstanding receiving stats made the difference. Among the others we considered were Terry Metcalf, a dangerous running and receiving threat; Ron Springs, who ran for more than 2,500 yards and once caught 73 passes in a season; and Mel Farr, who had some good years with the Detroit Lions during the late 1960s and early `70s.

Calvin Hill rushed for 1,000 yards twice with the Dallas Cowboys, but his son Grant chose basketball over football, so Calvin obviously couldn't be considered. The same goes for former NFL line backer Ken Norton Jr., the famed heavyweight boxer's son. And then there is former Rams wide receiver Jack Snow, whose son J.T. plays first base for the San Francisco Giants.

In only five instances, both a father and son are on our all-star teams. Those duos are: Sam Adams Sr. and Jr., Ernie and Erik McMillan, Rubin and Andre Carter, Ed and Brad Budde, and the Foremans.

Brothers Clay Jr. and Bruce Matthews both made the Sons squad. They each played 19 years and were named to a combined 18 Pro Bowls. Bruce Matthews fled Merlin Olsen for the most Pro Bowls in history (14) and played all five offensive line spots during his brilliant career, finally retiring after the 2001 season. That means this is the first season since 1977 that a Matthews brother hasn't been on the field. Their father Clay Sr. played for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s.

Brothers John and Charley Hannah also made the Sons team. Although he wasn't nearly as good as his Hall of Fame brother, Charley played 12 NFL seasons.

So who would win if these teams actually squared off?. The dads could control the clock with their superb running backs and Griese's precision passing. On the other hand, the sons would have a nice aerial attack behind Manning. Call it even offensively.

Defensively, the Fathers team has Hall-of-Famers Bobby Bell Sr., Dave Wilcox, and Ronnie Lott as anchors. But the Sons squad has a stronger line and secondary, featuring a great tackle duo in Ted Washington Jr. and Sam Adams Jr. Since the dads are a little shaky on the line and in' the defensive backfield, the kids get the defensive edge.

It would be quite a compelling matchup. Too bad it could never happen.

Our All-Fathers Team

OFFENSE

Position        Father, years (son, position, years)

Quarterback     Bob Griese, 1967-80 (Brian, QB, 1998-2002)
Running back    Tony Dorsett, 1977-88 (Anthony, DB, 1996-2002)
Running back    Chuck Foreman, 1973-80 (Jay, LB, 1999-2002)
Wide receiver   Kevin House, 1980-87 (Kevin Jr., DB, 2002)
Wide receiver   Ray Renfro, 1952-63 (Mike, WR, 1978-87)
Tight end       Aaron Thomas, 1961-70 (Robb, WR, 1989-98)
Tackle          Ernie McMillan, 1961-75 (Erik, DB, 1988-93)
Tackle          Willie Young, 1966-75 (Rodney, DB, 1995-98)
Guard           Ed Budde, 1963-76 (Brad, G, 1980-86)
Guard           Sam Adams Sr,. 1972-81 (Sam Jr., DT, 1994-2002)
Center          Irv Goode, 1962-74 (Conrad, OL, 1984-87)

DEFENSE

Position        Father, years (son, position, years)

End             Julius Adams, 1971-87 (Keith, LB, 2001-02)
End             Tony Cline Sr., 1970-77 (Tony Jr., TE, 1995-97)
Tackle          Rubin Carter, 1975-86 (Andre, DE, 2001-02)
Tackle          Manu Tuiasosopo, 1979-86 (Marques, QB, 2001-02)
Linebacker      Bobby Bell Sr., 1963-74 (Bobby Jr., LB, 1984, `87)
Linebacker      Gerald Irons, 1970-79 (Grant, DE, 2002)
Linebacker      Dave Wilcox, 1964-74 (Josh, TE, 1988)
Cornerback      James Hunter, 1976-82 (Javin, WR, 2002)
Cornerback      Ronnie Lott, 1981-94 (Ryan Nece, LB, 2002)
Safety          Roosevelt Taylor, 1961-72 (Brian, DB-RB, 1989, `91)
Safety          Howie Williams, 1962-69 (Gardner, DB, 1984)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Position        Father, years (son, position, years)

Kicker          Bobby Howfield, 1968-74 (Ian, K, 1991)
Punter          NO PLAYERS AVAILABLE

OFFENSE

Position        Son, years (father, position, years)

Quarterback     Peyton Manning, 1998-2002 (Archie, QB, 1971-84)
Running back    Jim Kiick, 1968-77 (George, DB-RB-LB, 1940, `45)
Running back    Matt Suhey, 1980-89 (Steve, G, 1948-49)
Wide receiver   Eric Metcalf, 1989-2001 (Terry, RB-WR, 1973-77, `81)
Wide receiver   George Sauer Jr., 1965-70 (George Sr., RB-DB-LB,
                1935-37)
Tight end       Kris Mangum, 1997-2002 (John, DT, 1966-67)
Tackle          Rich Moran, 1985-93 (Jim, DT, 1964-67)
Tackle          Charley Hannah? 1977-88 (Herb, OT, 1951)
Guard           Brad Budde, 1980-86 (Ed, G, 1963-76)
Guard           John Hannah, 1973-85 (Herb, OT, 1951)
Center          Bruce Matthews, 1983-2001 (Clay Sr., DE-DT, 1950,
                `53-55)

DEFENSE

Position        Son, years (father, position, years)

End             Andre Carter, 2001-02 (Rubin, DT, 1975-86)
End             Jack Gregory Jr., 1967-79 (Jack Sr., G, 1941)
Tackle          Sam Adams Jr., 1994-2002 (Sam Sr., G, 1972-81)
Tackle          Ted Washington Jr., 1991-2002 (Ted Sr., LB, 1973-82)
Linebacker      Clay Matthews Jr., 1978-96 (Clay Sr., DE-DT, 1950,
                `53-55)
Linebacker      Jay Foreman, 1999-2002 (Chuck, RB, 1973-80)
Linebacker      Billy Ray Smith Jr., 1983-92 (Billy Ray Sr., DT-DE,
                1957-70)
Cornerback      Chris McAlister, 1999-2002 (James, RB, 1975-76, `78)
Cornerback      Shawn Springs, 1997-2002 (Ron, RB, 1979-86)
Safety          Brock Marion, 1993-2002 (Jerry, WR, 1967)
Safety          Erik McMillan, 1988-93 (Ernie, OT, 1961-75)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Position        Son, years (father, position, years)

Kicker          Bruce Alford, 1967-69 (Bruce Sr., WR-DB, 1946-49)
Punter          Danny White, 1976-87 (Wilford, RB, 1951-52)

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