Christian McCaffrey's extremely blessed genetics
It’s well known that the odds to become a pro athlete in any sport are extremely long. So the fact that there are so many relatives who become pro athletes speaks to the importance of genes. So what player is the most perfect construct of genes? You’ve heard about the Mannings and the Watts and many others, but not enough is said about the lineage of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who was named NFL All-Pro today at TWO POSITIONS — RB and “Flex.” He deserved it. He ran for more than 1,000 yards and had more than 1,000 receiving yards and was given the honor of the rare “99” rating in Madden. McCaffrey’s genes are insane. His father, Ed McCaffrey, is of course the great Broncos wide receiver, but it doesn’t stop there. His mom Lisa was so fast on the soccer field, she was essentially a cheat code in high school. She averaged 3 goals a game and in one game racked up 9. Then there’s his uncle Billy, Ed’s brother, who played on Duke’s 1991 championship team with Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill. He was the team’s second leading scorer. We’re not done. Because the last one is the most impressive. Lisa’s dad was David Sime, who was once the fastest man in the world. He played baseball at Duke, was offered $30,000 to play by many teams, which was a lot in the late 50s and also ran track. He never played football, but was once offered $65,000 to sign with the New York Giants. How come you never heard of Sime, who was once on the cover of Sports Illustrated? Because he didn’t win in Rome at the 1960 Olympics. He took home the silver in the 100 meters. He actually tied for gold (10.2 seconds), but Armin Hary of Germany had his torso cross first, it was ruled in an photo finish. Nothing should be taken away from McCaffrey because genes alone don’t make up a champion. But, on a day where he is honored for being great at two areas on the field, it’s worth talking about the incredible base he started with.
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