Cade and Cooper Mays know what it’s like to play football together. They’ve done so for most of their lives, in high school and college with Tennessee football. However, playing against each other on the same football field would be a far different dynamic.
The two offensive linemen wouldn’t be squaring off physically against one another in most any scenario, but the two could potentially cross paths in the NFL. Cade is already in the NFL after being drafted by the Carolina Panthers last year. Cooper is widely expected to be an NFL prospect after this season given his ascension as one of the top centers in the SEC.
So what happens if both are in the same game in the pros? It could happen. That will be the case in the Super Bowl when Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce try to lead their respective teams to an NFL championship.
“Pretty wild,” Cooper said of the prospects of playing his brother in the Super Bowl. “You know, at least one of us is going home with with the win, so I guess kind of evens it out a little bit. I guess that’s the way they’re looking at it.”
Playing on opposite teams is one thing. Actually, facing each other on the field at the same time would be something else. Since both Kelces play offense, like the Mays brothers, that won’t be the case in the NFL’s grand finale.
“It definitely helps that they’re playing on the same side of the ball so they’re not going to have to go against each other,” Cooper said of any potential brotherly strife.
What if it was actually brother versus brother, with both players on the field at the same time?
“It would probably make me more competitive,” Cooper said. “If I got embarrassed it would be something that probably stuck in my craw for a long time.”
The Mays brothers have actually discussed what might happen if they’re both in the NFL at the same time. However, their conversations have revolved around being on the same team and fighting for the same job.
“We don’t think we want to play together again because you know that’s going to leave you fighting for roster spots and such…so that’s probably not not ideal, but playing him, I don’t think I would mind,” Cooper said.
Beating a brother on the field is one thing. Taking a roster spot and putting a brother out of a job is something else entirely.
Simply put, Cooper said, “It wouldn’t be good.”
