NFL news: Christian McCaffrey’s dad gives insight into raising star athletes

Youth sports in America are more competitive than ever, especially football. One man with a track record of raising boys who can thrive is Super Bowl champion wide receiver Ed McCaffrey. 

McCaffrey is the father to superstar San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, Miami Dolphins assistant coach Max McCaffrey and former college quarterback Dylan McCaffrey. 

“We were lucky. We had great kids who were very competitive, very motivated. We did set certain standards. Academics were important to us. We wanted to get them a good education, so if they didn’t play well in the classroom, they wouldn’t be allowed to play sports,” Ed said. 

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Former Denver Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey, center, talks to young football players next to his two sons, San Francisco 49ers receiver Max McCaffrey, left, and Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, right, at the McCaffrey Football Camp at Valor Christian High School June 27, 2019.  (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Handling adversity is a critical point of focus in parenting for the McCaffreys. Ed believed in parental intervention after moments of adversity in sports in particular. 

“After the game, if things don’t go well, either for them personally or their team, or if they’re injured, or any time they’re going through a tough time, as a parent, you want to build their spirit back up, pat them on the back and say ‘try again,’” he said. 

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For young athletes, Ed McCaffrey believes wins and losses are less significant than the individual mindset of competing. 

“If you play to win and give your best effort, then you’ve already won, regardless of what the scoreboard is,” he said. 

“It’s not about winning every single game. We all want to win, but you’re not going to win every game you play. It’s about knowing that you gave it everything you possibly could to your team, to your sports.”

Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey (5) shakes hands with his father, former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, as his mother Lisa looks on after a spring game at Cagan Stadium. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

For McCaffrey and his sons, arguably the most critical aspect to their athletic success was their day-to-day lifestyle, especially diet and getting enough sleep. 

The vast majority of the McCaffrey sons’ meals were cooked at home by their mother, Lisa McCaffrey, Ed said, adding Lisa prepared dinner for the boys “every night.”

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Due to the boys’ constant athletic activity, the parents increased the amount of red meat and dairy they ate to higher levels than what is recommended for the average adult. 

“Kids can consume a little more red meat, a little more fat, more dairy,” McCaffrey said. 

Sticking with homemade food was even more important when it came to snacks before sporting events. If Ed or Lisa gave them any food at all before games or practice, it had to be free of certain ingredients and “easily digestible.”

SiriusXM host Ed McCaffrey and NFL running back Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers pose for photos at SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIV Jan. 30, 2020, in Miami, Fla.  (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

“It’s hard to consume food before an event because most foods have things in them that are hard to digest, but they have additives in them that affect your gut, and it’s hard to go and compete,” Ed said. “It was so important for us when they were growing up to give them healthy snacks that were easy to digest.” 

One of the most common snacks Ed and Lisa fed their sons was homemade protein bites, which has since inspired the family to release its own line of McCaffrey Protein Bites with similar ingredients. Those ingredients include flaxseed, brown rice and pea protein. They also made sure to keep peanuts out of the bites because of their sons’ allergies. 

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