Brothers Noah Sewell and Penei Sewell, who both studied at the University of Oregon and played football there, now play for different franchises in the NFL. It often raises the question, for those unaware, of whether they are related.
The answer is yes, Chicago Bears’ Noah Sewell is the younger brother of Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell.
In fact, his parents, Gabriel and Arlene Sewell, have five children, meaning apart from Penei, Noah Sewell has three more elder siblings. Originally from American Samoa, the Sewell family moved to Utah in the United States sometime in the year 2012.
The four sons, Gabriel Sewell Jr, Nephi Sewell, Penei Sewell, and Noah Sewell are all football players. Along with Noah and Penei, Nephi Sewell also plays in the National Football League as a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, Gabriel Sewell Jr plays in the USFL.
Their only daughter, Gabriella, has kept her life private and not much is known about her. She competed in track and field events in high school before graduating from Dixie State University.
The success of the Sewell brothers, both in the NFL and before that in college football, has meant that the Sewell family has become one of the prominent families in football today. The family established the Sewell Foundation in 2022, a year before Noah Sewell was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2023 NFL draft.
According to the foundation’s website, the family is deep into football, and athletics in general, with father Gabriel Sr working as the head coach of the Oren High School, the nine-time Utah State Football Champions.
“I’ve just got to put a stamp on it. I gotta be the biggest Sewell out there. I’ve got to be the biggest name, since I’m the youngest, I’ve just got to do better than all the brothers before me,” Noah Sewell had said in an interview with the Associated Press in 2022.
However, he had also revealed that his brother, Penei, has been a huge influence on him. Penei Sewell paved the way for Noah to pursue a career in football.
“When it came down to it, my decision was my brother. I just wanted to learn from my brother, his game, how he approached it. As you can see, he’s doing amazing things right now, and I still want to learn from him,” he had said.