Baseball and football are fairly dichotomous. The former is a daily game, with 162 matchups contested over 180 days. The latter is marked by one game a week, although the demanding nature of that game calls for a different level of intrigue.
Yet for all that is different about the two sports, they remain linked to one another. One reason why? The lineage of athletes who have starred in one sport before helping produce children who shined in the other.
Patrick Mahomes Sr. Famously played 11 years in MLB, laying the groundwork for his son's fiery arm. And yet, Mahomes isn't the best former MLBer to play a role in shaping their lineage's gridiron pursuits.
Enter Kimani Vidal, the Los Angeles Chargers' RB who comes from baseball royalty. Here's what you need to know about Vidal's relationship with former Braves star -- and Baseball Hall of Famer -- Hank Aaron.
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Is Kimani Vidal related to Hank Aaron?
Vidal is, indeed, related to Hank Aaron. The former home run king was Vidal's great-uncle.
At pick No. 181 in round 6, the Chargers selected Troy RB Kimani Vidal, the great nephew of Hank Aaron. Pic.twitter.com/78i6Saf8eY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2024
A Mariette, Ga., native, Vidal grew up a stone's throw from the stadium that Aaron starred at for nine years of his glimmering career. While he carries a far less imposing build than his grand-uncle did, it's clear Aaron's athletic prowess is hereditary.
Where did Kimani Vidal go to college?
Vidal attended Troy in Troy, Ala. He played often across his four seasons with the Trojans, tallying 4,010 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns in his collegiate career. In his senior year, Vidal recorded a nation-best 297 carries and Sun Belt-best 1,661 yards. The Bolts summarily selected him in the sixth round (No. 181 overall pick) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Who are Kimani Vidal’s parents?
Vidal's parents are Kwame and Dayna Vidal. His father played football at Florida A&M. Also a running back, Kwame Vidal enjoyed one of the best rushing seasons in Rattlers history in 1995, amassing more than 1,200 yards in 1995.
Named after Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's pan-African leader who guided the country's ascent from the thumb of British colonialism, Kwame Vidal always appeared destined for gridiron greatness despite his 5-foot-8 frame.
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"I know I'm limited in terms of height, but not in terms of weight," Kwame Vidal told the Tampa Bay Times in 1995. "I knew I was going to get a pounding from some big people, so I stayed in the weight room, not necessarily to get real big, but to get real strong so I could take that pounding."
Three decades on, his son seems to be doing the same.
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