Top 10 Greatest Sports Families of all time

It’s a miracle if anybody plays a sport professionally; today, we will take a look at families that had multiple members play at the highest levels of sports. To have multiple family members who are great athletes at the highest level is rare.

10) The Sharpes

Sterling was a 6-time All-Pro wideout who contributed 65 touchdowns before an injury ended his career just two years before their Packers won their title in 1996. Luckily for Sterling, Shannon presented him with his first of three championship rings as an act of sacrifice from Big bro. Shannon would appear in 8 Pro Bowls and become one of the most fantastic tight ends since Tony Gonzalez.

Shannon Sharpe: 7th-round pick, Sterling’s little brother… Hall of Famer

9) The Sutters

The Family Sutter has played over 5000 combined games and captured six Stanley Cups; two of his sons – Brandon from Brent and Daryl’s son Brett from Daryl – are current Carolina Hurricanes players.

Don Cherry on The Sutter Brothers

8) The Dimaggios

Joltin Joe’s 56-game hit streak may be one of the most celebrated achievements in sports history. Yet, many don’t realize his brother Dom also set an impressive Red Sox record with 34 hits consecutively during 1949. Together the brothers earned 22 All-Star appearances over 34 years of service!

Joe and Dominic DiMaggio train for new baseball season 1941 archival footage

7) The Waners

Nicknamed the “Big and Little Poison,” Paul Waner collected over 3,100 hits despite playing many games while drunk, according to Casey Stengel, who noted his grace when sliding without breaking the bottle on his hip. Both brothers would earn Hall-of-Fame honors with 5,611 combined career hits between them.

RARE Pittsburgh Pirates Paul & Lloyd Waner Home Movie Film

6) The Klitschkos

As far as the heavyweight division is concerned today, there are only two names that stand out: Vitali and Wlad Klitschko of Ukraine are unrivaled in this generation; their combined record was 104-5-1 with 88 knockouts apiece – The two brothers at one p[point owned all the title belts and are the two best heavyweights of this century!

Brothers In Arms – The Wars Of The Klitschko Brothers

5) The Howes

Gordie Howe is widely revered as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, and his son Mark shares this distinction by being honored with him being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. A two-way defenseman himself, Mark spent 16 seasons between the Whalers, Flyers and Red Wings, while Marty and Vic had notable professional hockey careers too.

Gordie Howe: Life of a Legend

4) The Spinks

Michael went unbeaten through 31 professional fights to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion and later heavyweight champion after beating Larry Holmes. Mike would only lose in his final fight, when Mike Tyson knocked him out in 1988 – making both International and World Boxing Halls of Fames inducted. Leon is best remembered for defeating Muhammad Ali to claim WBC/WBA world heavyweight championship in 1978; his son Cory would go on to become undisputed Welterweight Champion.

Boxing legends Leon & Michael Spinks on Good Day Rochester

3) The Hulls

Only 18 players in NHL history have scored over 600 career goals – 16 are not named Hull – while few can match Bobby or Brett Hull for their slapshot prowess, often seen at his game’s best in their prime. Silver Jet Dennis may never join Bobby and Brett in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but with 363 career goals and five All-Star nods under his belt, it shouldn’t go without praise either!

NHL Legend Brett Hull on His Father Bobby Hull

2) The Wiliams

Serena and Venus Williams have amassed an incredible 48 Grand Slam titles between them since 2007, an achievement made even more impressive when one considers that they often clashed against each other (they met eight times in Slam finals, including four consecutive). These sisters are incomparable regarding women’s tennis in this century.

Venus and Serena Williams growing up in Compton

1) The Mannings

Mannings reign supreme among quarterbacks. Being selected with the #2 overall selection and #3 of your own family for draft selection speaks volumes about your gene pool. Bear Bryant once described Archie Manning as one of his favorite college quarterbacks… not bad pops but no rings yet? Peyton and Eli both earned Super Bowl MVP awards; the former one even as one of the three or four greatest ever to ever throw the pigskin! Regardless of one’s opinion of them or dislike, success cannot be denied!

Manning Brothers Feature: NFL Sunday Night on NBC

Honorable Mention

The Bells

The Alomars

The Gracies

The Niekros

The Bonds

The Alous

The Matthews

The Esposito’s