Tuesday Top Ten: Greatest Athletes Who Weren't the Best Athletes in Their Household

Last week, Greg Weeser* texted his two brothers and me with a link to a question from the Super 70s Sports Twitter account:  "Who's the greatest athlete ever who wasn't even the best athlete in their own immediate family?"  Boy did that open up a can of texting worms.  We went back and forth for a couple hours, and then the four of us had a conference call that started at 11:15 p.m. last Tuesday, as I was checking on my kids on my way to bed.  We talked for nearly two hours -- granted, it wasn't just about this.  But, of course, no one had to go to work in the morning, so it was a nice conversation.

With respect to the question at hand, we agreed on a few, but had heated disagreement over others.  Things got testy at times, but when debating serious issues of the day, that's to be expected.  

Since I can't just let things lie, and I prefer to do some research, I decided to turn the debate into a Tuesday Top Ten.  I consider "immediate family" to be the same household -- so one generation vertically up or down (i.e., parents or children), as well as siblings.  That way, we don't have to argue about Barry Bonds and Reggie Jackson being distant cousins.  Or Willie Mays being Barry Bonds's godfather.

So here are my top ten greatest athletes ever who weren't the best athletes in their own immediate families (in alphabetical order):

1.  Tiki Barber
Better athlete in the family:  Ronde Barber (brother)
The Barber twins presented a really tough call.  I struggled back and forth on this one, but ultimately, I went with Ronde.  Both had great NFL careers, and both are members of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.  Tiki is the Giants' all-time leading rusher and yards-from-scrimmage leader (and holds various other Giants' records), a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All Pro selection.  His 10,449 career rushing yards put him at #27 all-time in NFL history.  Ronde played on the other side of the ball, and he was a five-time Pro Bowl cornerback, three-time All Pro selection, and two-time second team All-Pro selection.  He was also a Super Bowl champ (with the Buccaneers after the 2002 season) and was selected as a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s.  In addition to being the Bucs' all-time interception leader and holding various other team records, he holds the NFL records for most consecutive starts by a defensive back (215; 224 including playoffs) and most consecutive starts by a cornerback (200; 209 including playoffs).  He is also the only player in NFL history with more than 45 interceptions and more than 25 sacks.

2.  Tony Esposito
Better athlete in the family:  Phil Esposito (brother)
A six-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup champion (with the Canadiens in 1969), a member of the NHL Hall of Fame, tenth all-time in career wins, and a member of the NHL's list of 100 Greatest NHL Players, Tony Esposito is one of the best goalies in NHL history.  Older brother Phil was a center, who was a 10-time All-Star, a two-time Stanley Cup champion (in 1970 and 1972 with the Bruins), a member of the NHL Hall of Fame,the first man in NHL history to score 100 points in a season and 1,000 points in a decade, led the league in goals six times (and six years in a row), led the league in assists three times, led the league in points five times, won the Hart Trophy twice, is tenth all-time in points scored ans sixth all-time in goals scored, and is also a member of the NHL's list of 100 Greatest NHL Players.

3.  Bobby Hull
Better athlete in the family:  Brett Hull (son)
Bobby Hull -- the Golden Jet -- is one of the best left wings in NHL history.  He won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1961 and two Avco Cup championships with the Whalers in 1976 and 1978, led the NHL in goals 7 times and in scoring twice, won two Hart Trophies and two WHA MVPs, is 18th all-time in goals scored, was a 10-time NHL All-Star and 3-time WHA All-Star, is an NHL Hall of Famer, and is a member of the NHL's list of 100 Greatest NHL Players.  His son Brett was a right wing.  He's also a Hall of Famer and a member of the NHL's list of 100 Greatest NHL Players, as well as a two-time Stanley Cup winner (1999 with the Stars and 2002 with the Red Wings), is 4th all-time in goals scored, 23rd all-time in points scored, an 8-time All-Star, Hart Trophy winner, and is tied with Wayne Gretzky for the most NHL playoff game-winning goals.

4.  Vitali Klitschko
Better athlete in the family:  Wladimir Klitschko (brother)
This is really a tough call, as both of the Klitschko brothers were amazing boxers.  And both have PhDs!  Vitali is older than Wladimir by about five years.  Now the mayor of Kiev, Vitali ended his professional boxing career as the WBC heavyweight champ and a 45-2 record (with 43 KOs).  He was a three-time world heavyweight champion, held the WBO title from 1999 to 2000, the WBC title twice between 2008 and 2013, and the Ring magazine title from 2004 to 2005, and he was the fifth-longest combined world championship reign in history at 2,735 days.  Only to be outdone by his little brother.  Wladimir finished with a 64-5 record (53 KOs), and he held the WBO heavyweight title from 2000 to 2003 and 2008 to 2016, the IBF and IBO titles from 2006 to 2016, the Ring magazine title from 2009 to 2016, and the WBA title from 2011 to 2016.  He also holds the record for the longest cumulative heavyweight title reign of all time (4,382 days), and he holds the record for most opponents defeated for the world heavyweight championship at 23.

5.  Clay Matthews, Jr.
Better athlete in the family:  Bruce Matthews (brother)
The Matthews Family is kind of the first family of football, with seven members across three generations who have played in the NFL, with a combined 25 Pro Bowls, 11 first-team All-Pro selections, and three Super Bowl appearances.  Linebacker Clay Matthews, Jr. was a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns and over 19 NFL seasons for the Browns and Falcons, going to four Pro Bowls and finishing with the third-most tackles in NFL history (1,561).  His younger brother Bruce was an offensive lineman, who was also a first-round draft pick and also played 19 seasons in the NFL, all for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.  He never missed a game due to injury, and ended up starting 293 NFL games, which the second most in NFL history.  Bruce's 14 Pro Bowl selections is tied for most all-time, and he was a nine-time first-team All Pro selection.  Needless to say, he's a member of the Hall of Fame, and he was a member the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s and was ranked #78 on on the NFL Network's The Top 100 NFL Greatest Players list.

6.  Reggie Miller 
Better athlete in the family:  Cheryl Miller (sister)
Reggie is an NBA Hall of Famer, a five-time All-Star, and an Olympic gold medal winner, and he retired as the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made.  Older sister Cheryl is considered one of the greatest women's basketball players ever.  She is also a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame and a gold medal winner, and she was also the Naismith player of the three thrice, a two-time NCAA champion, a member of the inaugural class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

7.  Henri Richard
Better athlete in the family:  Maurice Richard (brother)
We have another pair of NHL Hall of Fame family members with the Richard brothers.  Maurice, a right wing, was known as Rocket Richard.  Henri, a center, was fifteen years Maurice's junior (and a few inches shorter), earning him the nickname the Pocket Rocket.  He played 20 years for the Canadiens, was a nine-time All-Star, won 11 Stanley Cups -- the most in NHL history -- and is member of the NHL's list of 100 Greatest NHL Players.  Older brother Maurice played 18 seasons in the NHL, also all for the Canadiens -- the two were teammates for Maurice's last five seasons.  Maurice was the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in one season and the first to reach 500 career goals, and he retired as the NHL's all-time leader in goals.  He was a 14-time All-Star, an eight-time Stanley Cup winner, won the Hart Trophy in 1947, and is a member of the NHL's list of 100 Greatest NHL Players.  The Hockey Hall of Fame waived its five-year waiting period for eligibility and inducted Maurice one year after he retired, and the trophy awarded annually to the NHL's regular season leading goal-scorer is named the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.

8.  Sterling Sharpe
Better athlete in the family:  Shannon Sharpe (brother)
Between 1989 and 1994, Sterling Sharpe was arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL not named Jerry Rice.  In his seven seasons in the NFL, he played in every game, was a five-time Pro Bowler, was an All Pro three times, lead the league in receptions three times, led the league in receiving touchdowns twice, and led the league in receiving yards once.  In 1992, he became the sixth player in NFL history to win the receiving "Triple Crown" -- leading the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions -- he broke the NFL record for receptions in a single season, only to break his own record the next year, when he became the first player in NFL history to have consecutive 100-reception seasons.  Unfortunately, his career was cut short by a neck injury he suffered in the final game of the 1994 season, so he and younger brother Shannon may well have been switched on this list had Sterling been able to continue playing.  But as it is, Shannon is one of the most decorated tight ends in NFL history, playing 12 seasons for the Broncos and Ravens, winning three Super Bowls, going to 8 Pro Bowls, being selected All Pro five times (4 times first team and once second team), becoming the first tight end to eclipse the 10,000-yard receiving mark, and finishing his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns for a tight end.  Shannon was named to the First Team of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s, and he is a member of the Hall of Fame.

9.  Lloyd Waner
Better athlete in the family:  Paul Waner (brother)
The Waner brothers anchored the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield -- with older brother Paul (aka "Big Poison") in right and younger brother Lloyd (aka "Little Poison") in center -- for much of the 1920s and 1930s.  They hold the MLB record for career hits by brothers, with a combined 5,611 hits.  Lloyd played 18 seasons, mostly for the Pirates, he hit over .300 ten times, he still holds the MLB record for most hits in the first three seasons (678), led the league in putouts four times, and had a .983 career fielding percentage as a center fielder.  He ended his career with a .316 batting average and 2,459 hits, and he is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Legendary for his ability to hit well when either drunk or hungover -- which I think is the most impressive part of his resume -- Hall of Famer Paul played 20 seasons (the first 15 with the Pirates), won three NL batting titles, led the NL in hits twice, was the NL MVP in 1927, set the NL record for doubles in 1932 with 62 (which was broken a few years later), led the NL in putouts four times, holds the MLB record for career putouts by a right fielder, ranks in the Top 15 all-time in career doubles and triples, had a career .333 batting average, and became the seventh member of the 3,000 hit club (ending his career with 3,152 hits).

10.  Venus Williams
Better athlete in the family:  Serena Williams (sister)
Venus is a former #1 ranked WTA player, is second all-time in women's tennis earnings, a ten-time Grand Slam singles winner (and one of six women in the Open Era to win a Career Grand Slam), a 14-time Grand Slam women's doubles champion (also winning a Career Grand Slam), a two-time Grand Slam mixed doubles winner, and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner (one singles and three doubles).  Of course, younger sister Serena is arguably the greatest tennis player of all-time (of either gender).  Serena is first all-time in women's tennis earnings (more than doubling Venus's earnings), has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles (most by any man or woman in the Open Era), and, like her sister, has 14 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, and four Olympic gold medals.

Honorable mention:  Laila Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali); Felipe Alou (father of Moises Alou); Boss Bailey (brother of Champ Bailey); Bobby Bonds (father of Barry Bonds); David Carr (brother of Derek Carr); Vontae Davis (brother of Vernon Davis); Marc Gasol (brother of Pau Gasol); Ken Griffey, Sr. (father of Ken Griffey, Jr.); Chris Long (son of Howie Long); Kyle Long (son of Howie Long, brother of Chris Long); Archie Manning (father of Peyton and Eli Manning); Eli Manning (brother of Peyton Manning); Joe Niekro (brother of Phil Niekro); Mike Pouncey (brother of Maurkice Pouncey); Leon Spinks (brother of Michael Spinks); T.J. Watt (brother of J.J. Watt)