All About Justin Jefferson's Brothers, Jordan and Rickey Jefferson

Justin Jefferson’s older brothers — Jordan and Rickey — largely paved the way for the Minnesota Vikings player, who appears in Netflix’s Receiver docuseries, to make it to the big league.

Their parents, John and Elaine Jefferson, welcomed Jordan in 1990, followed by Rickey in 1994 and Justin in 1999. As the youngest of the pack, Justin had to learn how to keep up with his competitive family while growing up in Louisiana.

Reflecting on their upbringing in an interview with GQ, the Vikings star expressed gratitude for growing up in an encouraging environment that pushed him.

“They definitely made me into who I am, made me tougher, made me into a better player,” Justin said after explaining how Jordan inspired the receiver to “carry out this dream” and put time in to help him “better my craft.”

After all, Justin always had his brothers — and their love of playing. “That's always been our life. We talk ball. We live ball. That's us,” Rickey told ESPN in 2022.

Here’s everything to know about Justin Jefferson’s brothers — Jordan and Rickey — and how the athletic siblings bond over their favorite sport.

Justin is much younger than his brothers

Justin, born on June 16, 1999, is the youngest Jefferson brother after Jordan arrived on Aug. 25, 1990, and Rickey was welcomed on Dec. 28, 1994. Their births make Jordan nearly nine years older than Justin, while Rickey is over four years older than Justin.

The significant age gaps meant Justin often tried to keep up with Jordan and Rickey, who took their jobs as big brothers seriously.

"There was a big difference, but like Mom always said, 'You gotta look after each other,’ " Jordan told ESPN in 2022.

Justin and his brothers had different dynamics growing up

While Justin is close with Jordan and Rickey today, it wasn't always the case.

Speaking to the SEC Network in 2019, Jordan and Rickey shared how they supported Justin in different ways. While Jordan helped train Justin and encouraged him to think about his plays, Rickey admitted he was “extremely hard” on their younger brother.

“Jordan was always the one protecting him, so they were best friends growing up,” Rickey said, while he and Justin “were at odds most of the time, but we have a great relationship because of it now.”

Still, Jordan shared that Justin's present day may have looked different without tough love. "He wasn't going to get better if we went easy on him," he told ESPN.

As he's come up in the NFL, Jordan and Rickey remained involved in his development on the field and in front of the camera due to his rising profile. Justin recounted how his older siblings would try to advise him on how to carry himself in different situations.

Jordan and Rickey set examples for Justin at LSU

Before Justin became a national champion with Louisiana State University in 2019, he had some big shoes to fill at the iconic SEC school: Both Jordan and Rickey attended the school and made their marks on the football team.

Jordan played quarterback at LSU from 2008 to 2011, often appearing in the starting lineup beginning in his freshman year. During his career, he threw for 4,733 yards and 34 touchdowns while earning awards. In his final season, Jordan led the Tigers to the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, where they lost to the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide.

A few years later, Rickey played defensive back at LSU from 2013 to 2016, where he often started and recorded dozens of tackles and several interceptions, including a late-game intersection in 2014 to set up a win against their division rivals. Rickey went on to sign with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent in 2017, and the following year, he joined the New Orleans Saints. He experienced several injuries, according to reports.

When Justin arrived at LSU in 2017, he was ready to live up to the family name. "I dreamed so big for so long to have this chance to play at this level and to play these types of games," he told SEC Network in 2019.

Justin played for the Tigers from 2017 to 2020 as a wide receiver and quickly caught everyone's attention for his catches and yards gained. He added that watching his older siblings represent the school years before him and then playing for the same team felt "like a dream."

Jordon and Rickey were by Justin's side when he was drafted by the NFL

Justin was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings as the 22nd overall pick in the first round in April 2020, and he shared the special moment with the people who matter most: his parents and older brothers.

Jordan posted a clip of the moment Justin was drafted on Instagram, showing how ecstatic the siblings were to hear his name.

“A moment my guy has been dreaming of since the beginning,” Jordan wrote alongside the clip. “Due to the hard work and persistence, dreams do come true ‼️”

Rickey calls their family a supportive “empire"

Though Jordan and Rickey showed Justin the ropes and helped him succeed professionally in the NFL, the brothers don't draw comparisons. Instead, they rally around one another and share encouragement every step of the way.

"We all played a significant role in the development of the others," Rickey told ESPN. "As a family, we're more of an empire than an entourage, and ain't nobody jealous about nobody. ... The bond we have? You can't break that. Other people shining doesn't dim our light.”

Rickey has felt this way about Justin for a long time. “We always said growing up he was gonna be the best one out of the three of us, and it’s looking pretty close now,” he told the SEC Network in 2019. “I’m super proud of him.”

Justin and Rickey dreamed of a "defining-moment" catch

When Justin made an incredible one-handed catch late in a game against the Buffalo Bills in November 2022, one person wasn’t surprised at all that the young receiver had completed such an audacious move.

"The crazy thing is, we've talked about this. Before every season we talk about it,” Rickey told ESPN. "At that moment, he establishes himself as the best receiver in the NFL. I can say that, and I'd like him to be as humble as possible, but you've got to know who you are.”

Jordan became a coach after his playing days

After his college career, Jordan wasn’t drafted in the 2012 NFL draft, but he had a brief contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before playing in the Canadian Football League and later for Pittsburgh Power. He also participated in the experimental minor league Omaha Mammoths.

In 2014, Jordan transitioned into a coaching career that led him to stints at his alma mater, Destrehan High School; the University of Houston, where he worked toward a master's degree to continue coaching; and Colorado State University as an offensive graduate assistant.

He's now the athletic director for the NOLA Hotboys, which he co-founded with Justin. It's described as a 7v7 program that “guarantees high school athletes the exposure and knowledge needed to be D1 ready,” according to their website.

Jordan's passion for coaching started during his LSU days when he would work out with 14-year-old Rickey and 10-year-old Justin in the family's backyard. During their sessions, Jordon didn't hold back his strength while throwing the ball at them.

"To see [Justin's] development as a receiver and also be notarized as one of the best receivers in the country, it’s a wonderful feeling to view on my end because I ended up coaching him when he was 15 and 16," Jordan told the SEC Network.

The oldest Jefferson brother continued, "He wasn’t the receiver he is today, but where he started to where he is now and to where he will be moving forward, he has a lot of football left in him to still be able to give to the game."