An "Iron"clad football family

[Draven 0]

For Kenny and David Irons football is a way of life. When you've had five relatives play college football with four of them having reached the pro level, trying to make football a career is pretty much assumed.

"I've got my brother, my dad, myself, a whole lot of cousins playing football," said Kenny Irons. "You couldn't play another sport. If you played another sport it's like, 'Oh you're not a real Irons.'"

The two brothers who are about a year apart actually have a younger brother who doesn't play football or any other sport right now.

"We tell my little brother he's not a real Irons because he's not playing football," said Kenny. "He might play basketball because he's real tall, but you have to play football growing up in the Irons family. You had to start out young and be a hard-nosed football player."

Kenny said his father, David senior, played for the Detroit Lions a few years before suffering a career-ending knee injury. But the line of football talent doesn't end there for the Irons family. Their uncle Gerald was a linebacker who enjoyed a 10-year NFL career with the Raiders and Browns. Another uncle Paul Irons was signed as a rookie free agent by Cleveland, but appeared in just two games. Their cousin Jarrett was a linebacker at the University of Michigan. Finish ME!

[quietfan 233]

I see David hasn't lost his sense of humor:

"I could not play with him again," David said with a smirk. "If I was on the same team as him I don't know if I'd report to camp. I've been around him forever. I told him it's time for a divorce and to sign the papers in divorce court. I can't play with that guy anymore because I see him every day."