In 2024, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks completed a decade in the NFL. Growing up, it was a dream. Football genes ran in the family and he had the required traits to become an athlete. The grind made him the NFL star he is today.

During all these years, the LB kept his friends and family close. His mother still goes to the stadiums to cheer for him.

Who are Eric Kendricks’ parents?

In the late 1980s, Yvonne Thagon, a Portland (Oregon) native, fell in love with a football player, Marvin Kendricks. She later moved to Fresno, California with him and gave birth to 3 children: an elder son, Mychal, a daughter, Danielle, and a younger son, Eric. But later, Marvin got addicted to cocaine, and she left him.

Thagon, a single mother, was a pharmacy technician. And when the children’s responsibility fell on her shoulders, she extended her shifts. She also encouraged Eric Kendricks when he decided to make a career in football, after being inspired by his father, Marvin, a UCLA running back in the 1970s. The linebacker was also excited after hearing the stories of the Canadian Football League (CFL) where his father played.

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Marvin was a part of the Eagles‘ training roster as well for one summer, but couldn’t sustain his place. He later battled with drug addiction. It didn’t affect Eric that much, as he had a good relationship with his father. However, it was his mother’s struggles that motivated him to work hard.

And when the LB made it big, he remembered his father’s last words.

What were Eric’s father’s last words?

Years of drug abuse left Marvin with a heart condition. When he first watched his both sons play a college game against each other in 2011, he suffered a heart attack. Later, when both brothers played against each other in Super Bowl LII, he didn’t go to the stadium and watched the game from his hotel room.

In 2023, Marvin breathed his last. The LB smiled while talking about his father and revealed his last words that were, “The last thing he told me was that I still looked good out there playing and that I hadn’t lost a step.” One more person who kept it honest with Eric was his brother, Mychal.

Mychal also played as a linebacker in the NFL from 2012 to 2020. And he won the Super Bowl LII. His experiences helped Eric make wise decisions, paving the way for his longer career. To this day, the brothers remain close and often share everything with each other.

Eric is also regarded as one of the best linebackers in the league currently. And he loves to share his success with his family, often celebrating his special occasions with them.