Making it to the NFL is extremely difficult, and the odds of becoming a star are insanely low. That’s why it’s so impressive when multiple brothers are able to accomplish this feat and become elite players. There are obviously the Mannings (Peyton and Eli) and, more recently, the Kelces (Travis and Jason).
However, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa and Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Joey are also part of this exclusive club. Let’s examine their upbringing and ascent to NFL stardom.
Football Was a Huge Part of the Bosa Family
To say the Bosas come from a football family would be an understatement.
Their father, John, was drafted No. 16 overall in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. One year later, their mom’s brother, Eric Kumerow, was drafted No. 16 overall by the Dolphins in the 1988 NFL Draft.
Their mom’s dad, Palmer Pyle, played for three different NFL teams during the 1960s. His brother, Mike Pyle, played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears and won a Super Bowl with Mike Ditka.
It’s easy to see why Nick and Joey fell in love with the sport, and they clearly had the genes to dominate on the gridiron.
Dominating in High School
Since they were high schoolers, it was clear that Nick and Joey were extremely talented.
Joey, who is older by two years, was a four-star recruit in the 2013 class. He was the No. 4-ranked defensive end in the country and committed to play college football at Ohio State.
While Joey was a great player, Nick was even more sought after. The younger brother was a five-star recruit in the class of 2016 and was the No. 21-ranked player in the class. Like his brother, Bosa decided to play for the Buckeyes.
Making Their Presence Felt at Ohio State
Joey started 10 out of 14 games as a freshman in 2013, finishing with 44 tackles, including 7.5 sacks. He broke out as a sophomore, finishing the season with 55 tackles, including 13.5 sacks, while also forcing four fumbles.
The Buckeyes won the national championship that year in the inaugural College Football Playoff, as Ohio State knocked off Oregon.
He didn’t have quite the junior year people thought he would, as he was suspended early in the season and had only five sacks. However, that wasn’t enough to keep him from declaring for the NFL Draft after his junior year.
Nick had a solid freshman campaign, but he didn’t quite put up the numbers that many expected throughout his career at Ohio State. Joey finished with 148 tackles and 26 sacks, whereas Nick had only 77 tackles and 17.5 sacks. Nick also had a tough junior year, as it was announced he underwent core muscle surgery early in that season. Shortly after, he announced midseason that he was withdrawing from Ohio State and declaring for the draft.
Early Selections in the NFL Draft
Both brothers entered the NFL draft after their junior year because they were highly coveted by NFL executives.
Joey was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the then-San Diego Chargers, and Nick was the No. 2 overall pick by San Francisco two years later.
Joey entered the NFL and made his presence felt right away. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 10.5 sacks. In fact, he had at least 10.5 sacks in three of his first four years, with a career-high 12.5 in his second season. However, one thing that has really limited Joey throughout his career is his health.
When he has played at least 12 games (five seasons), he has averaged 10.2 sacks per season. But during his third season, he was limited to just seven games and recorded just 5.5 sacks. From 2022-2023, he played just 14 games (starting nine) and totaled nine sacks.
Nick, on the other hand, missed most of his second year, but he has been an absolute terror in the four seasons he has been healthy. Factoring out 2020, when he played only two games, his sack numbers are nine, 15.5, 18.5, and 10.5 sacks, the latter figure achieved in 2023.
He has been even better in the playoffs in his career, as his 10 career postseason sacks are tied for 13th all-time. At 27 years old, it is very possible that he’ll break the record, which is held by former New England Patriots defensive end Willie McGinest (16 postseason sacks).