Chiefs rookie tight end grapples with the long shadow of his father, pro wrestler Sting

It's not unusual for fathers to cast a rather long shadow for their sons. That's a notion Steven Borden Jr., a tight end who is trying out for the Chiefs during their three-day rookie minicamp, is familiar with.

Borden is the son of Steven Borden Sr., a professional wrestling legend who is better known by his ring name of “Sting.”

“People usually ask me does that bother you, does that upset you? It's never bothered me,” Borden Jr. said Sunday. “It's actually been one of those things that has pushed me my entire life. You see what your dad has done, you want to beat him out.”

As you might imagine, Borden Jr. that some of his teammates are well aware of the connection.

“I'm used to it by now,” Borden Jr. said. “You're going to get a couple comments here and there in the locker room. But eventually people just see me as Steven Borden, and that's what it is.”

Borden, who caught four passes for 33 yards as a senior at Kentucky, says his father has been supportive of his football career, which he started pursuing from the age of 8.

“He's always kind of pushed me to do what I want to do, make a name for myself outside of what he's done,” Borden Jr. said. “So that's been the goal my entire life, not really to follow in his footsteps necessarily, but to make my own name ... he never really was one of those dads who kind of wanted to push their son into their own deal.”

But if football doesn't work out, would he consider taking a stab at his father's career?

“I always tell people, if one day I'm homeless on the streets, then I might try it,” Borden Jr. said with a laugh.

This story was originally published May 17, 2015 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Chiefs rookie tight end grapples with the long shadow of his father, pro wrestler Sting."