Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson made waves at the NFL Combine for almost tying the position’s bench press record. His four-year college career is about to come to an end as he aims to make it into the NFL on the back of high stock. It’s been a challenging journey, but his inspiring brother, NBA player Jaylon Tyson, played a key role along the way.
Jordyn Tyson Recalls Brother Jaylon’s Tough Journey to the NBA
Jaylon and Jordyn are two youngsters trying to build their careers in professional sports. As the older brother, Jaylon was the first to reach the pros, having been drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024. He has since established himself as a staple in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s system.
Even more, his journey to the NBA served as a strong inspiration for his younger brother’s path to the NFL. Jordyn spoke about his brother’s story in a recent interview, mentioning the hard work he put in.
“That’s my best friend,” Jordyn said. “I wouldn’t be sitting in this chair without him. He instilled a work ethic in me at a young age. He actually got cut from his basketball team in his freshman year, and now he’s in the NBA, proving all the haters wrong. Just keep working, and you can do anything you put your mind to.”
As close brothers specializing in different sports, fun rivalries naturally surface: Can they beat each other at their games? While they were more evenly matched in school, the differences in their skills became prominent in college.
“He doesn’t come to the field [to challenge me], but I go to the court,” Jordyn added. “I’m not ducking no smoke. He’s ducking me on the field… When I was younger in high school [I could beat him], but when he got to college and the NBA, he was just too elite — I couldn’t even mess with him.”
With the Combine behind us, Jordyn now aims to join his brother in the pros via the NFL draft in April. His stock might not necessarily be as high as last year, when he caught 75 balls for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he booked a solid stat line this past season, averaging only three yards fewer per reception.
His campaign was enough to make him the second-best receiver in the 2026 draft class, behind Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and ahead of USC’s Makai Lemon.
Rigged with brotherly inspiration, it’ll be interesting to see how far Tyson goes in the pros.
