It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to rise to the top of sports leagues. But much like in Hollywood, sports leagues have nepotism babies that arguably do not work as hard as others to make it in their sport.
Only about 6% to 7% of high school athletes will make it to the collegiate level, and only around 2% of them will receive scholarships for their efforts. Meanwhile, famous NFL nepo baby Arch Manning was able to sign a $3.5 million name, image and likeness deal before taking a snap at the University of Texas.
Nepo babies usually refer to a child of one or more famous people in Hollywood; however, it can also refer to sports.
These nepo baby athletes, of course, already have some of the talent genetically, seeing that athletic performance is partially determined by genetics. That doesn’t mean all of these nepo babies are actually talented, and some are also underrated. It takes time and training to reach the professional level. The children of former professional athletes have access to high levels of training and connections to coaches that most don’t have access to.
Take Manning, for example; he was said to be the next best thing before he took a snap in college. Simply because his uncles are Peyton and Eli Manning, and his grandfather is Archie Manning, who also played in the National Football League.
Bronny James was a well-known name in high school, not because of stats but because his dad is LeBron James. No matter the sport, the cycle is still the same: a famous parent plus a famous child equals an elevated platform.
Of course, many of these athletes are talented and have been able to make a name for themselves, regardless of their parents' background. Look at Max Verstappen, he is a four-time world champion, which is more of an accolade than his father Jos Verstappen ever accomplished in Formula One.
Joey Porter Jr. is making a name for himself in the NFL, despite being drafted onto the same team his dad won a Super Bowl with and coached for.
Other nepo babies are talented, but are judged based on who their parents are. Shedeur Sanders had a better college career than Joe Burrowyet Sanders is deemed as “overrated.” Both athletes are nepo babies; Burrows' father’s role as a college coach definitely gave him a leg up in the world of athletics.
Yet, Sanders faced heavy criticism entering the NFL draft, arguably because of his easier path to the pros based on his dad, Deion Sanders. He is a Hall of Fame cornerback and was his son's coach in college. Leading Sanders to drop from a potential first-round pick to being picked in the fifth round.
A lot of these nepo babies work hard and are talented to get where they are today. However, I cannot ignore that hundreds, if not thousands, of players go through underfunded programs and are overlooked by scouts.
Having a famous last name does help, but it also hurts. These athletes will face heavy criticism from the media because of their last name. Yes, some of these athletes prove they are more than just their bloodline, but the door was already open for them, and they had very little to lose. A lot of talented athletes are left behind because they don’t have those names or funds to back them.
Cassie is a junior studying communications at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassie? Email her at cb086021@ohio.edu.
