It's not unusual in the world of professional sports to hear that a parent has produced a child — or children — who will follow them into that arena.
Sometimes it's Ken Griffey watching his son, Ken Jr., become one of baseball's all-time greats, even getting a chance to play on the same team and debut in the same Seattle Mariners outfield (on August 31, 1990).
Or it could be Jeff Petry, son of former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Dan Petry, playing pro hockey as a defenseman with the Edmonton Oilers.
And it can even extend to another generation, as Trey Griffey, son of Junior and grandson of Senior, being offered scholarships to play football at Michigan State and other major universities.
Then there's the Los Angeles Angels' Torii Hunter, whose sons Torii Jr. and Darius are football-playing juniors at Prosper High in Prosper, Texas. Darius is a wide receiver with breakaway speed, while Torii is a wide receiver/cornerback. (A third brother, Money, is a safety at Prosper.) Although they haven't reached their senior year, both are being heavily recruited by prominent college football programs. With Wednesday being Signing Day, dad is keeping a close eye on things as his kids make trips to different schools.
“They were at Texas Tech and they liked it, and they were at the Arkansas campus and they seemed to like it there as well," Hunter said. "They also went to Stanford last week. I'm just trying to make them aware of their options and give them some ideas.
“This week Baylor, Texas Tech, Oregon State, Stanford and Arkansas are
all coming down (to our home) to talk to my sons. They're very excited.”
Though they're still months away from their senior year, the Hunter brothers are the objects of serious interest.
Even though his kids are outstanding athletically and academically — hey, Stanford came calling — dad says there's no way he's letting them make early commitments.
“Nope, I'm not going to let them do that,” the elder Hunter said prior to a charity event Sunday night. “I really want them to take their time and make the best decision — more importantly, the right decision. I also want them to enjoy this time. This is the only time in their lives that they get to do this, and I want them to take it all in.
“Also, maybe one of the schools they really want to go to isn't ready for them right now, but might come back some months down the road. If they've already committed, that could cause a problem. I just advised them to take their time, because it's a decision that can change your life.”
Hunter, who could become a free agent after the 2012 season, says he wants his sons to have as much freedom as possible in choosing where they'll play collegiately. But first and foremost, he's their father and won't let them make the wrong choice if he can prevent it.
“All my kids are real bright, and I'm sure in the end they'll make a good choice. But hey, I'm a dad. That's what you do. Sometimes kids go out there and don't realize some things, and what I try to do is give them advice; the pros and cons of everything. And there's more to it than just football or baseball. What school has the best academic programs for what they want to (complete their major in), whether its a technical school or an engineering school or whatever they're interested in? They need to be patient and check out everything involved and then make an informed decision."
