Memorable father-son duos in Arkansas history
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In honor of Father’s Day, HawgBeat decided to take a look back at some of the most notable father-son duos in Arkansas history.
This is not a comprehensive list, but just a rundown of some of the Razorbacks’ most well-known combos…
Ron and Ronnie Brewer
As a member of the famed “Triplets” on Arkansas’ great basketball teams of the late 1970s, Ron helped the Razorbacks reach the 1978 Final Four and finished his career with 1,440 points, which still ranks 15th in UA history. That led to the Fort Smith native being taken seventh overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, making him the Razorbacks’ first first-round pick.
About three decades later, Ronnie was ranked the No. 29 overall player coming out of Fayetteville High in the Class of 2003. He followed in his father’s footsteps by coming to Arkansas and finished just behind him on the UA’s all-time scoring list, with 1,416 points. That led to him being taken 14th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft.
Billy Ray Smith Sr. and Jr.
Following a high school career in which he earned All-America honors at Augusta, a small town in east Arkansas, Senior played for the Razorbacks and was a sophomore on the famed “25 Little Pigs” team in 1954. He was a first-team All-SWC selection at tackle as a senior and became a third-round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, beginning a 13-year professional career in which he won a Super Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
As good as he was, his son was even better. Junior is the only two-time unanimous first-team All-American in UA history, picking up the honors in 1981 and 1982. His 63 career tackles for loss are still a school record, a full 15.5 ahead of second place. That led to him being taken fifth overall in the 1983 NFL Draft, beginning a 10-year professional career in which he earned second-team All-Pro honors and made the Chargers’ 50th anniversary team.
Both players made their respective All-Decade teams for Arkansas, as well as the school’s All-Century Team announced in 1994.
Mark and Hunter, Hayden and Hudson Henry
Ending his career as a four-year letterman, Mark was a team captain and first-team All-SWC center as a senior in 1991. However, he’s probably better known as the father of the trio of brothers who have played for the Razorbacks for the last several years.
The oldest Henry brother is Hunter and he played from 2013-15, racking up 116 receptions for 1,661 yards and nine touchdowns as a tight end. He was a Freshman All-American in 2013 and a second-team All-SEC pick his first two years before a monster junior season in which he was named a consensus All-American and won the 2015 John Mackey Award. A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, he’s currently the highest-paid tight end in the NFL as a member of the Chargers.
Both of the younger Henry brothers are still at Arkansas. Hayden is a linebacker who joined the Razorbacks as a blueshirt and has worked his way into a contributing role the last few years. Hudson was a highly touted tight end in the Class of 2019 and caught two passes for 17 yards last season while maintaining his redshirt. He’s expected to have a bigger role on offense this year.
George, Jay and Chris, and Jake Bequette
The Bequette family tree began with George, who - like Billy Ray Smith Sr. - was a lineman on the famed “25 Little Pigs” team in 1954. He had two sons who played for the Razorbacks in the 1980s, with Jay earning first-team All-SWC honors as a center in 1982 and Chris serving as a team captain in 1987.
The most successful member of the family, though, was Jay’s son, Jake. A low three-star recruit coming out of Little Rock Catholic in the Class of 2007, Jake redshirted before lettering during one of the best stretches of Arkansas football in recent history. He was a team captain on the 2010 and 2011 teams and finished his career with 23.5 sacks, which ranks third in UA history. He was also a first-team All-SEC defensive end as a senior in 2011. That helped Jake become a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Today, he’s serving our country in the U.S. Army, graduating from Ranger School in 2018 and is now a 1st Lieutenant in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division.
Chris and Carson Shaddy
The shortstop in the double play tandem with a second baseman named Dave Van Horn, Chris was a three-year letterman for the Razorbacks in the early 1980s. His seven triples in 1981 are tied for 10th on the UA’s single-season list and he followed it up with a team-high 10 doubles in 1982 before becoming an eighth-round pick in that summer’s MLB Draft.
A few decades later, Carson accepted a walk-on spot to play for Van Horn and after redshirting his first year, became the heart and soul of arguably Arkansas’ best baseball team ever. He hit .330 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs as the starting second baseman on the Razorbacks’ national runner-up team in 2018. Unfortunately, Carson will likely be remembered for over running a foul pop up that would have clinched a national championship, but it shouldn’t be overlooked that he slashed .316/.405/.523 with 32 home runs and 149 RBIs as a lightly recruited walk-on from Fayetteville.
Jim, Lyndy and Jack Lindsey
A well-known figure in Northwest Arkansas because of his successful real estate company, Jim was an excellent running back on the Razorbacks’ best team in school history, lettering from 1963-65. He finished his career with 1,177 rushing yards, which ranked seventh at the time. That led to him being taken in the second round of the 1966 NFL Draft, which began a seven-year professional career that included an NFL Championship.
His son, Lyndy, lettered for the Razorbacks in their last four years in the Southwest Conference and caught 26 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns as a tight end. His grandson, Jack, is a current player who began his career as a walk-on and was placed on scholarship before last season. Although primarily the holder on special teams, he is also a quarterback and actually started last year’s finale against Missouri.
Loyd and Mackenzie Phillips
A sophomore on the Razorbacks’ 1964 national championship team, Loyd earned first-team All-SWC honors each of his three seasons in an era when freshmen were still ineligible. He was a consensus first-team All-American each of his last two seasons, including 1966, when he won the Outland Trophy. Loyd finished his career with 304 tackles, which ranked second in UA history at the time and ranks 17th now.
Much like how their fathers played together, Lyndy and Mackenzie played together at the tail end of Arkansas’ SWC era. Mackenzie was a defensive tackle who is probably better remembered for his near-death experience while playing at Springdale High. Clinically dead after collapsing on the field, he survived and ended up lettering three years for the Razorbacks.
Gerald and Dusty Hannahs
Pitching for the Razorbacks during the early years of the Norm DeBriyn era, Gerald was a four-year letterman and racked up 225 career strikeouts, which was a record at the time and still ranks seventh in UA history. He also posted a 1.93 ERA in 1971, which is still the freshman record at Arkansas.
One of a few combos to play different sports for the Razorbacks, Dusty actually began his career at Texas Tech. After two seasons with the Red Raiders, the Pulaski Academy product transferred back home. In two seasons at Arkansas, he scored 1,047 points, joining an exclusive list of only eight players to reach that mark in only two years.
Larry Marks and Cheyenne O’Grady
A three-year letterman during the early years of the Nolan Richardson era, Marks averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds during his career with the Razorbacks. His best season was as a sophomore, when he started 21 games and averaged 6.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 17.9 minutes.
Another different-sport duo, O’Grady was a top-100 recruit coming out of Fayetteville High and managed to break the UA record for career touchdown receptions by a tight end despite clashing with both head coaches during his career and serving multiple suspensions. When he was on the field, though, he was a tremendous talent who finished with 87 receptions for 967 yards and 12 touchdowns at Arkansas.
Isaiah and Tyson Morris
Nicknamed “IBM,” Isaiah transferred to Arkansas from San Jacinto J.C. and started 51 total games on a couple of the Razorbacks’ great teams in the early 1990s. As a senior, he averaged 10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds, helping him get picked in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft, the same year as Arkansas’ trio of first-rounders - Todd Day, Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller.
Despite a standout career at Fayetteville High, Tyson signed with Central Oklahoma, a Division II school, out of high school. However, he transferred back home to be a walk-on for the Razorbacks after just one year. As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, he appeared in all but one game and caught four passes for 30 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown against Vanderbilt. Tyson earned a scholarship before the 2019 season and went on to make 13 receptions for 155 yards, including another score, while playing 351 snaps.
Jerry, Stephen and John Stephen Jones
As a team captain in 1964, Jerry helped the Razorbacks win a national championship as a starting offensive lineman. What most of the country knows him for, though, is his purchase of the Dallas Cowboys and turning them into a three-time Super Bowl Champion.
His son, Stephen, was a four-year letterman who played linebacker and special teams and also started in the 1987 Orange Bowl. Much like his father, he’s probably better known for his position with the Cowboys. John Stephen was a prolific high school quarterback at Highland Park in Dallas, helping the Scots win a couple of state championships. He was a lightly recruited two-star prospect, though, and redshirted his first year at Arkansas before starting a game last season.
Rickey and Zach Williams
Rickey was one of the Razorbacks’ best linebackers during the 1980s, earning a spot on the UA’s All-Decade Team. A four-year letterman, he was a team captain and earned first-team All-SWC honors in 1987. His 140 tackles that season were the Razorbacks’ most in nearly two decades, ranking fifth on the UA single-season chart at the time and still tied for sixth. His 343 career tackles ranked third at the time and are now ninth in school history.
One of a handful of legacy players in Arkansas’ 2019 signing class, Zach came to Fayetteville as a high three-star recruit from Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock. Many figured he’d redshirt, but he ended up playing 131 total snaps in nine games last season, with a knee injury forcing him to miss a few games. He finished the season with 12 tackles.
Junior and Mataio Soli
With his entire career in Arkansas’ SEC era, Junior was a four-year letterman and earned second-team All-SEC honors as a nose guard in 1995, when he helped the Razorbacks reach their first SEC Championship Game. That helped him become a fifth-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft.
Another legacy in the 2019 season, Mataio was a four-star recruit from Georgia who figured to be a major factor on defense as a true freshman. His role was even bigger than expected thanks to Dorian Gerald going down with an injury and forcing him to start the final 11 games of the season. He ended up playing 497 snaps and finished the year with 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.
Harold, John and John Aaron Rees / David, John David and Zac White
Arguably the Razorbacks’ family tree with the most branches, the first member of this family to play at Arkansas was Harold. Nicknamed “Greasy,” he played fullback and middle linebacker in 1931-32. His son, John, played wide receiver for the Razorbacks from 1968-70, catching 30 passes for 498 yards and two touchdowns. His grandson, John Aaron, was also a wide receiver for the Razorbacks, playing from 2005-08.
The great-grandson and grandson of the elder Rees father-son duo, John David was a walk-on wide receiver for the Razorbacks who appeared in two games as a true freshman last season, catching two passes for 27 yards and earned a solid 77.3 grade from Pro Football Focus on 21 offensive snaps. His brother, Zac, has not yet played for the Razorbacks, but he is a member of the baseball team’s 2020 signing class. Their father, David, was a golfer at Arkansas in the early 1990s, earning All-America honors as a senior in 1993.