Former Illini Sydney and Chase Brown – Twin Brothers – Named NFL Captains

The Philadelphia Eagles safety and Cincinnati Bengals running back share an NFL field and an honor

Oct 27, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Twin brothers Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21) and Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) greet each other at midfield before the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

When the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals took on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Week 8, two former Illinois football stars took the field – no longer alongside one another, but for the first time against one another – as captains for their respective teams.

And they just so happen to be twin brothers.

For the first time in @NFL history, Canadian twins are playing in a game against each other.

Sydney and Chase Brown were both named co-captains for the game. 🇨🇦@Bengals | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/GWVcG2wLhD

— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) October 27, 2024

It was what will surely be an unforgettable memory for the Brown brothers. Ultimately, Sydney got the best of Chase as the Eagles claimed a 37-17 victory. Despite the final score, Chase was grateful. He called it “a special moment – and not only for us, but for our family here in the stadium."

Few shared journeys come so clearly and completely full circle. Chase and Sydney Brown were born in Canada – London, Ontario – before moving to Florida to attend high school. With Chase able to chew up opposing defenses with the ball in his hands and Sydney wreaking havoc on the other side of the field, the brothers led St. Stephen’s Episcopal to a state championship. 

After the football season, they starred in track and field, both becoming state finalists in the 400-meter relay.

Then their paths quickly diverged.

Sydney chose to attend Illinois, where he became a playmaking safety. Chase picked Western Michigan and a chance to run out of the Broncos' backfield.

Together their whole lives, and now separated by more than 200 miles, they began to flourish together – but separately – on the field.

Playing in the Big Ten, Sydney started in 10 games and had an impressive freshman campaign, with five pass breakups (second on the team) and 55 tackles (fifth).

Chase played in all 13 games for Western Michigan, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and putting up excellent numbers as a return man.

But after one season in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Chase decided to hit the transfer portal. His eventual destination: Champaign.

The Brown brothers, joining forces again, played three seasons at Illinois – from 2020 through the 2022 season, walking away as two of the most decorated players in Illini history and, one can only assume, as two of the most productive twin-brother college football teammates of all time.

Sydney was a 2022 All-American, a two-time All-Big Ten player and finished third in the country with six interceptions as a senior. Chase was an All-American in 2022, too, plus a three-time All-Big Ten player and was named the first Doak Walker Award finalist (as one of the top three running backs in college football) in Illinois history.

In the 2023 NFL Draft, both brothers were drafted by their current teams – Sydney by the Eagles in the third round and Chase by the Bengals in the fifth.

Fast forward a year, and the twin brothers took the field against each other for the first time – a matchup that got their competitive juices (and a bit of well-earned pride) flowing. “It’s been something we’ve been looking forward to since we were kids," Sydney said. "It’s surreal, but we expected it. We worked for it, and it’s going to be cool to have that moment with him on the field.”

"Cool" also described the relationship between the brothers – if only for the few days leading up to kickoff. According to CBS, on the Tuesday before the game, the brothers cut off all communication. As for after the game, it was brotherly love as usual.

Philadelphia and Cincinnati aren't scheduled to match up again for another four years, so unless a brother switches teams or they meet in – wowza! – the Super Bowl, it appears Sydney will hold on to bragging rights for quite a while. Catch you at Christmas, bro!

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