If you’ve ever looked at Jeff Saturday and thought, “Man, this guy looks awfully familiar,” you’re not alone.
Over the years there has been debate as to what exactly the Colts’ coach looks like. Often, NFL fans have pointed out other players, namely Centers, who have a similar appearance to the 14-year-old Colts star-turned-head-coach.
However, no one can top the claim a current UNC player has in the Jeff Saturday Lookalike competition.
That would be his son Jeffrey Saturday. The pair were recently spotted together at a UNC game and many eyebrows were raised when they saw the older Saturday talking to his son; in a way it was like speaking into a mirror.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturdays and the similarities between them.
MORE: Why the Colts hired Jeff Saturday as interim head coach
Who is Jeffrey Saturday in UNC Football?
Jeffrey Saturday on the UNC football team is the son of Colts coach Jeff Saturday. The younger Saturday is a 5-10, 185-pound junior and plays receiver for the Tar Heels.
Saturday joined the UNC program after catching 55 for 1,035 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior year at Hebron Christian Academy, where his father trained. He wasn’t a graduated recruit but still ended up at UNC to play under coach Mack Brown, who coached the elder Saturday in the 1990s.
Saturday has never recorded a catch for the Tar Heels. However, according to the team’s official website, he has served as “a valuable roster member who added depth to the wide receiver.”
MORE: Jeff Saturday regrets clock management in late-game loss to Steelers
Jeff Saturday lookalike
The younger Saturday may not be known for his on-field performance at UNC. However, when his father attended one of his games, much attention was paid to how similar the two Saturdays are.
In fact, Jeffrey is Jeff’s spitting image. The only glaring difference between the two is that the younger Saturday currently wears long hair while his father wears his short ones.
But everything else – from their facial features to the color of their eyes – makes anyone suspect they’re father and son, even without knowing Saturday’s name.
Saturday has also been credited as the double of former Giants and 49ers center TV analyst Shaun O’Hara over the years. There is certainly some similarity between these two, as you can see below (Saturday is on the right).
Still, the familial resemblance between Saturdays will eclipse that old O’Hara comparison.
MORE: Four things Jeff Saturday got right in his win over the Raiders in coaching debut
Where did Jeff Saturday go to college?
The Saturdays don’t just share their looks. They also share the same alma mater.
The elder Saturday attended UNC from 1994 to 1997, where he was a letterman for four years and a team captain for two years. He was a standout at center and was named to the All-ACC First Team in 1996 and 1997 for his strong performance.
Saturday played under Mack Brown, the same coach his son plays for. Brown coached at UNC from 1988-1997 before spending the 1998-2013 campaigns in Texas. He returned to UNC in 2019 and has remained there ever since.
Despite his success for Brown, Saturday went undrafted because NFL teams worried about his size. He was only 6-2, 292 pounds at the NFL Combine, and that was enough for teams to ignore his strong bond; They simply feared that he wouldn’t fare as well against bigger, stronger, faster NFL competitors.
Saturday initially signed with the Ravens but did not make the team. As such, he returned to North Carolina, where he served as an electronics store manager.
In 1999, the Colts signed him and he served as a backup throughout that season. He started two games and became the team’s top center starting in 2000. From there he became an All-Pro talent and one of the most respected interior offensive linemen in the NFL.