Jordan Caroline grew up with football in his blood, an athletically lethal mix of his All-American father (Simeon Rice) and Hall of Fame grandfather (J.C. Caroline) giving him a genetic advantage.
His grandfather led the NCAA in rushing while at Illinois in 1953; was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame; played for the decade with the NFL’s Chicago Bears; was an All-NFL player as a rookie; and even intercepted Johnny Unitas’ first career pass and returned it for a touchdown.
His father became the Big Ten’s all-time sacks leader (44.5) at Illinois; was a two-time All-American; was the 1996 NFL rookie of the year; played 12 seasons in the league; was a four-time All-NFL pick; won a Super Bowl in 2003 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ historic defense; and ranks 19th in sacks in NFL history.