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- Justin Herbert mom: Holly Herbert
- Justin Herbert dad: Mark Herbert
- Justin Herbert brother: Mitchell Herbert
- Justin Herbert brother: Patrick Herbert
- Justin Herbert grandfather: Rich Schwab
- Justin Herbert grandfather: Roger Herbert
- Where is Justin Herbert from?
While Herbert eventually developed into a household name, that wasn't always the case. He was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon but only had two D-1 FBS offers.
Herbert broke his leg in his junior year of high school, and it definitely derailed not only his penultimate high school season but was a big reason that he didn't get many college offers. Luckily, Oregon came calling for the hometown product, and he took over under center halfway through his freshman year. The rest for Herbert and the Ducks is history, and he ended up being the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Chargers.
Herbert is the most prominent athlete in his family, but he most certainly is not the only athlete. His dad, brothers and grandfather all played football, and he has another grandfather who was a collegiate sprinter.
Here is more on the Herbert family's athletic roots.
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Justin Herbert mom: Holly Herbert
While we know that the rest of Herbert's family members were college athletes, the records are inconclusive regarding his mom. Some sources claim that she was a four-year basketball player at Oregon and even accompanied the Ducks to the 1995 Final Four. Others, like this article from People, say that Holly wasn't a college athlete and didn't even attend Oregon. The article says that she went to Washington State.
What we do know about Holly is that she has long been Justin's No. 1 fan. The family's home was a 10-minute drive, or a 23-minute walk, from Oregon's stadium, and they made sure to catch all of his home games. When Herbert was drafted, COVID-19 was just starting to take hold in the United States, and the draft was conducted virtually. Following his selection, his parents penned a letter to him as part of the "Dear Rookies" series the Chargers did that year.
In the letter, Holly and her husband Mark outlined some things for him to keep in mind as he went to the NFL. They describe how proud they are of him and all of his hard work, and end it with, "You got this, and if you ever need anything: we got you!"
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Justin Herbert dad: Mark Herbert
Justin wasn't the first quarterback in his family. His father, Mark, had played football all through high school and joined the team at the University of Montana. He barely passed his physical, was injured and ended up quitting before his sophomore season. Mark then committed more to running track for the Grizzlies. He competed in hurdles, the long jump and triple jump.
Mark made it his mission when his kids were growing up to keep them humble, so they could appreciate the chance to play a collegiate sport, because he didn't when he went through the process. Mark said in an interview with 406 MT SPORTS, "What I kept telling my kids is college football’s a lot harder than people realize. They think it’s glamorous. High school kids think it’s easy and think, ‘Because I was the star in high school, I’ll be the star in college.’ It doesn’t work that way. I found that out."
Mark realized he didn't want to talk to his kids about his struggles at Montana, but he recognized it was a teaching moment. "For me, it was uncomfortable, and it was difficult because I was the most classic underachiever, unfulfilled potential person you could ever imagine. I told them [my sons] that I had screwed up and I had some ability and I didn’t use my time very wisely, and I didn’t use some of the opportunities that I had. I wanted to make sure that they did the opposite of what I did.”
After his playing days were behind him, Mark became a high school biology teacher.
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Justin Herbert brother: Mitchell Herbert
Justin is the middle of the three Herbert brothers. Mitchell was the first child of Mark and Holly, born on April 21, 1996. He was named to the National Honor Society in high school and played football at Montana State. Mitchell played for the Bobcats from 2014 to 2017 and was a solid player. He finished his career with 94 receptions for 1,176 yards and 15 touchdowns over 29 games.
After his playing career ended, he went to medical school at Columbia University. He is now an orthopedic surgeon at UCLA.
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Justin Herbert brother: Patrick Herbert
Patrick is the youngest of the Herbert brothers, born in 2000. He followed in the family footsteps and took his talents to Oregon. On the decision to sign with the Ducks, he said, "It’s a team I’ve rooted for my entire life. I grew up here in Eugene and always loved the Ducks, so to play for this program is a very special deal, just as it was for the rest of my family.”
Patrick majored in sociology while playing tight end for the football team. He wrapped up his career in 2024 but was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jaguars. One of his new coaches spoke very highly of Patrick after his signing. He said, "Patrick Herbert is the epitome of toughness. This is a guy that doesn’t say a whole lot, that does the right thing, that misses very, very, very rare assignments, is prepared, plays through injury. He’s banged up? Doesn’t care. He breaks his finger in the middle of practice? Doesn’t care. Will not put on a red jersey. He is an awesome human being.”
Justin Herbert grandfather: Rich Schwab
Each of Herbert's grandfathers was an athlete. Schwab was his mother's father. He introduced the brothers to Ducks football at a young age. Schwab was a wide receiver for the Ducks in the early 60s. His love for Oregon was well-documented. Schwab underwent heart valve replacement surgery and shortly after attended the 2009 Rose Bowl game. He passed in 2018 from a stroke.
Schwab's death had a deep impact on the Herberts. While Justin was normally soft spoken, his mother remembers how much the death hurt him. The quarterback said, "I’m going to honor him by being a better teammate and better person." Talking about his grandfather, he said, "I just remember all the people who would come to me and tell me how great of a man he was, and I knew it. Everything he taught me, I try to live by every day to make sure I honor him."
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Justin Herbert grandfather: Roger Herbert
Mark's father was the only member of the family to attend Oregon State. He was a sprinter there. After his career ended, he became a longtime track coach at Sheldon High School, where Justin attended. Similar to his son Mark, Roger also taught high school biology. Justin developed a love for biology and even became a tutor for the subject while at Oregon. Roger is often attributed with being the motivation behind that science interest.
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Where is Justin Herbert from?
Herbert was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1998. He stayed local through his childhood and attended Sheldon High School in Eugene. Herbert's recruiting took a hit in his junior year when he broke his leg. For a long time, he only had offers from Northern Arizona, Portland State and Montana State, but then Nevada and Oregon swooped in with offers at the last minute. Herbert went with the Ducks and went on to get drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft despite only two D-I FBS offers.
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