Colton Underwood’s Family: Meet His Parents & His Brother

Fans of The Bachelor‘s newest hunk, Colton Underwood, know that he’s a former pro football player, but what they may not know is that football runs in the family – as does exemplary good looks and general athleticism.

Underwood was born on January 26, 1992, in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means he’ll celebrate his birthday during the airing of the upcoming season of The Bachelor. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs approximately 253 pounds, the perfect frame for a tight end. He graduated from Washington Community School District in Illinois and played football at Illinois State. He was part of the practice squads and participated in off-season workouts for the San Diego Chargers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Oakland Raiders. He was first signed by the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

With his family’s blessing, he became a contestant on the 14th season of The Bachelorette starring Becca Kufrin. Sadly, he was eliminated in the eighth week after hometown dates. But he was quickly picked up for the fifth season of Bachelor in Paradise. He now stars in the 23rd season of The Bachelor.

But Underwood isn’t the only football stud in the family, according to the Vidette, which is Illinois State’s student newspaper. Little brother Connor was an outside linebacker, who is just one year younger than Colton. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 229 pounds. He also possesses numerous football accolades, like his big brother, and played football at Indiana State.

Mom Donna, who is a big dog lover, played collegiate volleyball at Illinois State, which is where she met their dad, Scott, who also played football at that very same university. He, too, was a defensive end for the Illinois State Redbirds.

“My high school coach played here too, so I had a lot of ties to Illinois State, but I wasn’t going to let that affect my decision [to attend college at ISU] fully,” Colton Underwood told the student newspaper while an athlete there.

Despite the family legacy at Illinois State, the Underwoods allowed their sons to decide where they wanted to attend college.

“We let Colton make that choice as to where he wanted to go, and we all thought [ISU] was the best school for him,” Scott Underwood said. “So I was really happy he made that choice, but he did make it on his own. He’s made us really proud. He’s turned into a whole lot better football player than I ever was.”

Scott Underwood coached the boys throughout their years as youth football players and during their high school careers. When his sons’ college teams squared off on the gridiron, it was the first time the brothers were on the same field since high school.

Colton Underwood also shares pics on Instagram of himself and his “bonus” sister, Ryleigh. He has shared photos of her getting her driver’s license and of the day she graduated high school.

“Guys…my bonus sister graduated high school… it’s like a really big deal. But not as big of a deal as making the dance team at CU! Congrats!” he shared.

It’s clearly apparent that Underwood’s family is a big part of his life and it will be exciting to catch a glimpse of them during the upcoming episode of The Bachelor, which premieres tonight.