# Most successful siblings (of 3 or more) in sports history **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl, hockey-nhl\ **Created:** [November 30, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926 "2023-11-30T23:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DoubleG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DoubleG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoubleG)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/41 "2023-12-01T05:45:38Z")
Baseball HOFer Ed Delahanty had four younger brothers Frank, Jim, Joe, and Tom that all played in the major leagues. ---
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/42 "2023-12-01T12:05:59Z")
That’s understating it - all three Barrett brothers were in the starting XV for this year’s Rugby World Cup final, making up 20% of the All Blacks on the field. _Five_ Tualagi brothers - Freddie, Henry, Alesana, Anitelea and Sanele Vavae - have played international rugby for Samoa, though not all in the same team. The youngest brother, Manu, moved to the UK as a teenager (where his brothers were playing in the English domestic leagues) and has played 29 times for England. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/43 "2023-12-01T18:08:07Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Barclay, Bob, and Bill Plager The first three I thought of when I saw the thread title, having grown up in St Louis and seeing all three play for the Blues. But I wasn’t so sure about the “successful” part. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/44 "2023-12-01T21:13:26Z")
SNL mock commercial for something: “Hi, I’m Eli Manning. i don’t always get to the Superbowl. But when I do, I beat the Patriots.” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/45 "2023-12-01T21:20:32Z")
Sidebar to this thread, not part of the main: Mr Hockey, Gordie Howe played with his 2 sons Mark and Marty on the Houston Aeros, winning the AVCO Cup twice in 74 and 75 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/46 "2023-12-01T21:48:29Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > According to pro-football reference, he (Derek Watt) started 20 games out of the 110 games in which he appeared. He has a career total of 71 yards rushing, 178 yards passing, and 3 total touchdowns. In fairness, those are good numbers for a fullback. I would not be shocked if those 20 starts were the only 20 times a fullback was among the starters out of those 110 games. How many fullbacks on average get a start each week in the NFL this season? Zero? One? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/47 "2023-12-01T21:57:27Z")
Is that because a start in football means is on the field for the first play in which they are eligible to play? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/48 "2023-12-01T22:05:09Z")
Correct for offense and defense. Special teams isn’t included, so for example the players on the field for a kickoff aren’t considered starters. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/49 "2023-12-01T22:16:52Z")
In non Americans qualify, Jakob, Henrick and Filup Ingerbrigsten in middle distance running Even least known Filip has been European champion both on the track and cross country and won bronze at world level. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/50 "2023-12-01T22:56:48Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Is that because a start in football means is on the field for the first play in which they are eligible to play? Yup; in the case of offensive players, my understanding is that the 11 players who are on the field for the team’s first offensive snap of the game are credited with a start. Even if a player, like Derek Watt, is his team’s only fullback, unless his team runs a formation which uses a fullback on the first play from scrimmage, he won’t get credit for a “start.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/51 "2023-12-01T23:08:08Z")
In the Olympics there have been a few: The Dufour-Lapointe sisters in Sochi in freestyle skiing for Canada. One didn’t make the final round, but the other two took Gold and Silver. Justine and Chloe have been on multiple World Cup and World Championship podiums. Andreas, Mario, and Michael Matt completed in three successive Olympics (2010, 2014, 2018) for Austria, each winning a medal (SkiCross, Slalom, and Slalom) The Dibada sisters competed in middle and long distance running events for Ethiopia, winning a total of 8 medals. One sister’s husband and their cousin contributed another 5 medals. The Abbagnale brothers competed in rowing for Italy, winning a total of 9 medals (7 golds). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/52 "2023-12-01T23:10:59Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yup; in the case of offensive players, my understanding is that the 11 players who are on the field for the team’s first offensive snap of the game are credited with a start. Even if a player, like Derek Watt, is his team’s only fullback, unless his team runs a formation which uses a fullback on the first play from scrimmage, he won’t get credit for a “start.” Are starts a stat that’s a big deal? A guy who plays 90% of the snaps but isn’t needed on the first play for whatever reason doesn’t get one but a guy who barely plays at all except on the first play does. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/53 "2023-12-01T23:15:02Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Are starts a stat that’s a big deal? Not really, other than someone, somewhere, keeps track of stats like “consecutive games started.” Decades ago, when NFL teams played the vast majority of their snaps (on both sides of the ball) out of the same formation and personnel, and didn’t switch formations and personnel packages on pretty much every play, starts might have meant something. Now, it’s just a matter of what formation/package the offense decides to run on their first play of the game, and what package the defense responds with. Now, a “start” might be at least marginally meaningful for certain positions where teams don’t regularly swap out players from play to play (mostly QB and offensive line). ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/54 "2023-12-02T00:33:06Z")
True, although being a “starter” is a badge of honor, so coaches make it a point to have their best players among their 22. Oftentimes, a punishment to a good player is to not let him start. This is also true of the NBA, although you do see “6th men” sometimes be better than a starter if the team is deep in talent at a particular position. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/55 "2023-12-02T02:01:30Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Not siblings, but three family members deserves an honorable mention. I know this doesn’t count for shit, but 3 Schumachers made it to Formula One. One of them was pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/56 "2023-12-02T03:03:29Z")
These have to be contenders: Former Grand Slam winner Petr Korda has three children playing professional sports. Jessica Korda plays golf and was ranked inside the Top 10 in Womens Rankings. Nelly Korda also plays golf and has been ranked #1. Currently ranked #4 Seby Korda plays tennis and currently ranked #24 There was also three Maleeva Sisters that played tennis. Manuela won 19x and ranked as high as #3 in the Evert/Navratilova era. Katerina won 11x and ranked as high as #6 Magdalena won 10x and ranked as high as #5 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/57 "2023-12-02T03:15:17Z")
Leila, Liina, and Lily Luik are not only marathon-running sisters, but are also identical triplets. They are from Estonia, and participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics. > **[Meet The “Trio To Rio,” The Identical Triplets Making History At This...](https://www.self.com/story/meet-the-trio-to-rio-the-identical-triplets-making-history-at-this-summers-olympic-games)** > > The world will be watching 30-year-old triplets Leila, Liina, and Lily Luik when they compete in the Olympic women's marathon. ---
**Author:** ![Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hook)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/58 "2023-12-02T16:23:17Z")
[Mortimer family - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer_family) Three Mortimer brothers (Chris, Peter and Steve) played with Canterbury Bankstown Rugby League club in the 1970’s. In the 1979 Grand Final (Super Bowl equivalent), all 3 scored. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/59 "2023-12-02T17:30:06Z")
_Valerie Adams_, 2x Olympic Gold shotput medalist. _Stephen Adams_, NBA basketball player. _Lisa Adams_, Paralympic Gold shotput medalist. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926/60 "2023-12-02T22:54:51Z")
Since chess is considered a sport in many countries, I will add the Polgar sisters (originally from Hungary). Age at which title awarded in parentheses. Judit skipped the female titles by playing mostly in “open” (i.e. - mostly male) events. Judit Polgar - Grandmaster (16). Prior to that - International Master (12). Sofia Polgar - International Master (16) and Woman Grandmaster.(16). Prior to that - Woman International Master (14). Susan Polgar - Grandmaster (22) and Woman International Master.(13). Prior to that - International Master (15). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-successful-siblings-of-3-or-more-in-sports-history/993926.md?page=4)