PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and that’s the case when it comes to the Molden family.

Alex Molden, former Oregon Duck standout defensive back and the No. 11 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft, has a resume that not too many folks can compete with. Unless of course, you throw his son Elijah’s name into the mix, who was an All-Conference and All-American defensive back at the University of Washington and is currently rated one of the best defensive backs in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

While the bond between Alex and Elijah Molden is strong through football, Alex said he made it a point while raising Elijah to not force the game on him.

“I never wanted him to feel like he had to play,” Alex Molden said. “I just wanted him to know whatever he wanted to do in life no matter what it was, his mom and I would support him.”

While he never felt pressured to play, Elijah fell in love with the game of football and while his dad Alex was played with the best in the game, Elijah never saw him as the big-time NFL star, he just knew him as “Dad.”

“I never looked at him like he was this big icon, I just knew him as my dad,” Elijah said. “He never put the pressure on me, I never felt it one time. The only pressure I felt was from myself because I wanted to be the best player I could be.”

While Alex was a standout at Oregon, Elijah wanted to create his own legacy and find a school that was the right fit for him, leading him to chose the University of Washington. While the Ducks and the Huskies have one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football, Alex was going to support his son’s decision no matter what.

“It was his decision, wherever he wanted to go, I was going to support him,” Alex said, while also emphasized putting aside the rivalry to support his son. “If I had to put aside my Ducks hat and throw on a Huskies hat, I was going to do it and be the biggest Husky fan there is.”

Now, Elijah is focused on training for the 2021 NFL draft and while he has the confidence and the skill to be ready for the next challenge, he knows having his dad by his side would help him prepare for the next level.