Cowboys' Caleb Downs and Colts' WR Josh on growing up around NFL royalty

Selected 11th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, the rookie and his brother, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh, explained how being around NFL stars was an everyday occurrence in their youth.

"We used to be at Torry Holt's, and like, you don't even know how good Torry Holt is. Seeing an NFL player wasn't this surreal moment," said Josh.

Here's what else the two stars had to say on the most recent episode of their Downs 2 Business show, available to NFL Game Pass subscribers on DAZN.

The Torry Holt, Dre Bly, and Cameron Heyward connection

Mentioning Torry Holt so casually is as impressive as it is almost comical.

As a member of famous offense dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf", the legendary wideout played alongside three Hall of Famers in quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, and fellow receiver Isaac Bruce.

In a career that spanned 11 years, he caught 920 passes for 13,382 yards, made seven Pro Bowls, and has been a Hall of Fame finalist for seven straight years.

He won a Super Bowl as a rookie in 1999, too, the same year as a teammate who happens to be a Downs family member rather than just a friend.

"Our uncle is Dre Bly," said Josh, before pointing out that he had 43 picks in his pro career. "That's abnormal stuff, done. But again, that's our uncle; we see him all the time. It was pretty cool."

Bly's interception tally earned him two Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in the same year as a teammate of Holt's.

Some company to grow up around, whether or not either brother treated it that way at the time. But the family's star connections don't end there.

Caleb added, "I felt like we was around players growing up, and that was the biggest thing for us. To be around my mum's high school students, like Kevin Minter, Cameron Heyward, those type of guys."

A second-round pick in the 2013 draft, linebacker Minter played nine seasons in the league and picked up a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers along the way.

Heyward is the heavier hitter of the two, with seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro nods, and 92 career sacks for Pittsburgh, second only to T.J. Watt in team history.

Downs brothers eye big 2026 seasons

Growing up around that level of talent doesn't guarantee the Downs brothers will enjoy similar success, but the trajectory of both players is heading in the right direction.

Once described by his former college coach as "the best high school player I've ever seen live," Caleb is a leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year honours.

He's drawn rave reviews during Dallas' offseason camps for his ability to learn quickly and is expected to play a big role in turning around the fortunes of the much-maligned 2025 defense.

Josh, meanwhile, already has 2,140 receiving yards after only three years and is stepping into a bigger role in Indianapolis now that Michael Pittman has moved on to Pittsburgh in an offseason trade.

Whether either brother ends up with a resume like their uncle's or the family friends who surrounded them is a different question entirely, but as starting points go, it's as good as any.