Commanders' Luke McCaffrey looking to make his own name amid famous family
Luke McCaffrey has some big cleats to fill as the son of Ed and brother of Christian. Also following brother Max, he is on the verge of being the fourth member of his family to play in the NFL.
McCaffrey knows all about what comes with having a well-known last name, and now he's trying to make his own name in professional football as a rookie wide receiver with the Washington Commanders.
The converted quarterback has already formed a strong bond with Jayden Daniels and expects his upbringing on and off the field to help him adjust to the next level.
"I took everything from them," McCaffrey said of learning from his father and brothers. "So much of life is the nurture aspect of that and becoming a product of your environment, and I was lucky enough to have such a beautiful environment growing up."
Ed won three Super Bowls with San Francisco and Denver during a career lasting more than a decade spent catching passes for the New York Giants, the 49ers and then the Broncos. Christian is a two-time All-Pro running back who's on the cover of the latest Madden video game, the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year and perennially among the top fantasy football picks in leagues around the world. Max appeared in six games in 2017 and ‘18 before moving into coaching, where he’s now an assistant with the Miami Dolphins.
McCaffrey, a third-round pick out of Rice who previously played at Nebraska, calls growing up in such a decorated family "the biggest blessing I never earned" given the resources he has had at his fingertips along the way.
College coach Mike Bloomgren said, partially as a result, McCaffrey "broke all the norms" moving from QB to receiver.
"Does it come from having a dad that played in the league 13 years and [a]