Justin Jefferson’s parents John, and Elaine Jefferson, are former basketball players. The Vikings’ star player has two older brothers, who both tried their luck in the NFL.
Earlier this year, when he won the Offensive Player of the Year award, Justin thanked his parents, John and Elaine, for making him the man he is today. After all, behind every successful athlete, there are sacrifices from his family.
The 23-year-old wide receiver had a stellar 2022 season earning applause from almost everyone in the football community. Recently, even Vikings legend Cris Carter said he is a big fan of Jefferson.
Jefferson is the focal point of the Viking’s plan for the coming years, and they will do everything to keep up the generational receiver in their team.
With Dalvin Cook bidding goodbye to the team, the Vikings have freed the space to increase the wide receivers’ salary.
Justin Jefferson Parents, John, And Elaine Jefferson
Justin Jefferson’s parents, John and Elaine Jefferson, raised three boys in St. Rose, Louisiana.
The athletic couple was basketball stars in their heydays. John Jefferson played college basketball at Nebraska Western and Louisiana Monroe.
His mom, Elaine, played high school ball at Slidell High School, so the love for sports always ran in the family. But both decided against turning pro and, to this day, continue to work.
Many parents of athletes stop working once their child reaches the top level. But that isn’t the case with Justin Jefferson’s parents.
John continues to work for the commercial and equipment supplier Grainger, and Elaine is an administrator for St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
In an interview with Star Tribune, John said he didn’t want to retire yet and wanted to get his pension. That does set up a strong example for their kids.
In 2020, the wide receiver gifted his mom a new car for Christmas, with Justin sharing the video on his Instagram handle.
He did a surprise call to his mom, saying he wanted to give her something big for all she had done for him throughout the years.
Then he tells her to turn right where a big car is parked in their lane. At first, Elaine is emotional as she hugs her husband, but a few seconds later, she dashes toward her Christmas gift.
Justin Jefferson Brothers, Jordan, And Rickey Jefferson
Justin Jefferson has two brothers, Jordan and Rickey Jefferson, and they are former football players.
The star player of the Minnesota Vikings shares a tight-knit bond with his brothers and has previously given joint interviews with them.
Jordan Jefferson Is A Former Tampa Bay Player
Jordan, the oldest brother of Justin Jefferson, was born on August 25, 1990, and is nine years older than him.
After graduating from Destrehan High School in 2007, Jordan committed to Louisiana State University and played as a quarterback for four years. Standing at 6ft 4, Jordan went undrafted in 2012 and was signed as a free agent by Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But Jordan had no luck in NFL as he was waived by the Buccaneers, not having started a single game. He then joined Canadian Football League and was assigned to Montreal Alouettes, and even there, he couldn’t have a stable career.
He joined Colorado State in 2019 as an assistant wide receiver coach. In 2021, the two brothers combined for an interview by the Vikings as they talked about their childhood.
The big brother Jordan was quizzed about what kind of kid Justin was like growing up. Jordan said one of his favorite moments with his brother was playing the NCAA video game and singing along to Kanye West’s songs.
Jordan was featured in the recent GQ video with his younger brother. In the video where Justin had to list ten things he couldn’t live without, he included his older brother Jordan.
Rickey Jefferson Played As A Safety For LSU
The middle child, Rickey Jefferson, was born on December 8, 1994, and is five years older than his little brother.
Rickey played four years at LSU as a safety and signed with Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted agent in 2017. He was later waived by the Raiders and joined New Orleans Saints.
And unlike his little brother, he didn’t see any action in the NFL. He remains away from the public limelight. Unlike his brothers, he isn’t much active on social media.
