Professional sports run in the family of the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
Credit: Mitchell Leff/Getty; Brent Gudenschwager/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
NEED TO KNOW
- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon was born to parents Mike and Brandy Lemon
- They raised Makai and sister Aliyah in California
- Mike, a former college football player, shares a deep family history in sports
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon credits his parents, Mike and Brandy Lemon, with helping him reach the NFL.
The couple welcomed their daughter, Aliyah, before completing their family with son Makai on June 2, 2004. They raised their children in La Mirada, Calif., where Mike grew up.
Throughout high school and college, Lemon achieved multiple milestones in his sport, including being named one of the 2025 Polynesian College Football Players of the Year and winning the 2025 Biletnikoff Award, which recognizes the season’s most outstanding receiver. In April, he was selected as the 20th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It sounds cliche, but I feel like sometimes I give up on myself when things got tough,” Makai told reporters after the draft. “But [my parents] just never gave up on me. I feel like I wouldn’t be here without them, so just thank y’all so much.”
Here’s everything to know about Makai Lemon’s parents, Mike and Brandy Lemon.
His dad played college football
Credit: Steve Snowden/Getty
Makai’s love of football comes from his dad, Mike, who also played the sport.
Mike was a running back at La Mirada High in Calif., where Makai also attended. He then went on to play for the University of Las Vegas, which described him as a “highly touted prep star” when they signed him in 2000.
Mike got his athletic genes from his uncle, former MLB player Chet Lemon. Chet played 16 seasons in professional baseball, starting with the Chicago White Sox and ending with the Detroit Tigers.
Mike’s brothers, Tim and Jerry, were also standout athletes, with his brother Tim being drafted to play baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1998. Jerry played football for Fresno State, while Tim was a part of the University of Colorado Boulder football team.
Makai has Hawaiian ancestry
Makai has Hawaiian roots. He was named the co-recipient of the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year and has previously competed in the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“I love my Hawaiian culture; it’s unique and family oriented,” Makai told the University of Southern California in November 2025.
They live in California
Credit: Brent Gudenschwager/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Mike and Brandy raised their kids in La Mirada, Calif., where Mike also grew up and played football. Makai’s upbringing there encouraged him to continue his football career in the state.
“I wanted to be here,” Makai told the Los Angeles Times in November 2025 of choosing the school closest to home. “My family is right up the street. I’m the most comfortable here. I banked on my ability. I knew the circumstances that were ahead of me. When the opportunity presented itself, I tried to take full advantage of it.”
They have a daughter
Credit: NFL/Instagram
In addition to Makai, Mike and Brandy also have an older daughter, Aliyah.
In her NFL draft message to her younger brother, Aliyah recalled “changing his diaper” and rocking Makai “to sleep as a little girl.”
“Hey brother, I can already feel the tears coming,” she said. “Proud is an understatement. It is really hard to sit here and put into words how incredibly proud I am of you. You are inspiring and motivating, not just for myself, but the thousands of others that are rooting for you.”
She also said she looks up to him as a “big brother,” even though she’s older. The message brought Makai to tears.
“Me and my sister are so close,” Makai said in response to her message. “Like in elementary, she used to walk from her school to pick me up. Sometimes I’d be thinking nobody gonna get me after school, but, you know, she’s always there. Just her being there for me, me being there for her — I just love her so much, for sure.”
After Makai was drafted by the Eagles, Mike and Brandy recorded an emotional message of their own.
“At this point, you’re on the mountaintop, but it always wasn’t like that. It was the valleys that brought you here,” Mike said in the message to his son. “Your journey is just beginning, and I can’t wait to see where this takes you.”
With tears in her eyes, his mom added to the message telling Makai to work his “butt off.”
“You have dreamt about this day for so long, and I am more than proud of you,” Brandy said. “I’ve told you a million times how proud I am, but I am most proud of the person you’ve become. It’s my dream to watch your dream come true.”
She added, “We’re always here to catch you if you fall, or if you ever need us. I love you so, so much. Dad and I are so blessed to be here and witness this day with you.”
They’ve always supported his passions
Credit: NFL
Makai started focusing on football while in middle school. However, before that, Mike and Brandy always supported his interests, whether it was trying to catch a fish or skateboarding for the first time.
“He just always amazed us,” his mother Brandy, told the Los Angeles Times. “Like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s no way our 3-year old son is really doing kickflips and ollies right now.’ ”
When Makai was 6 years old, he told his father he wanted to catch a fish, so Mike took him. As Mike told the Los Angeles Times, he was amazed when he caught one so soon.
“He reeled it in, caught it, did it all himself,” Mike said. “And I’m like, ‘Holy moly, you caught your first fish, son.’ ”
When it came to sports, his mom was especially supportive of Makai’s independent attitude, even when he was upset that other kids didn’t take sports as seriously as he did at that age.
Brandy recalled Makai being frustrated when other kids weren’t paying attention during a baseball game. “I’m like, ‘Son, you’re only 7. It’s OK! They’re still learning,’ ” she said. “But he wasn’t satisfied.”
Read the full article here
