The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the McCaffrey family.
Christian McCaffrey’s dad, Ed, had a prestigious NFL career of his own. Despite being a spot starter after being drafted by the New York Giants in 1991, he found himself on the Denver Broncos where he contributed to two Super Bowl championships.
During his time with the Broncos, Ed became close to his teammate, former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe.
On Friday, there was not only proof the two were close, but the most adorable photo of Sharpe and baby Christian surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), drawing a comment from the San Francisco 49ers running back himself.
That’s Unc https://t.co/1HYjAUZ4It
— Christian McCaffrey (@CMC_22) January 5, 2024
“That’s Unc,” McCaffrey replied to the photo.
Ed McCaffrey became one of Denver’s all-time great wide receivers during his nine-year stint there, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 1998 when he tallied 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns.
This wasn’t the first time this photo has shown up, either. Sharpe actually shared it in 2019 as a throwback.
“TBT with my power ranger potna Christian McCaffrey. You’ve grown up a lot. 🤣🤣I’m very proud and happy for your success,” Sharpe noted at the time.
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Sharpe said he believed this photo was taken in 1999 during Super Bowl XXXIII. Christian was 2 1/2 at the time.
Christian’s talked about the adventure of growing up in an NFL locker room before, and admitted he had a special relationship with Sharpe.
Too cute.
[Dontay Atkinson, The Morning Line;Photo Credit: Dontay Atkinson via X/Twitter]
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.