Cris Collinsworth's 2 Sons: All About Austin and Jac (Who Is Also an NFL Commentator!)
Cris Collinsworth is an accomplished former wide receiver and NFL broadcaster who is also a father to two sons, Austin and Jac Collinsworth.
While Collinsworth made a name for himself as a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals before transitioning to a successful career in sports media, his kids have also done well for themselves — both on and off the field. (Besides Austin and Jac, Collinsworth and his wife, Holly Collinsworth, are parents to two daughters.)
Austin followed in his father’s athletic footsteps, playing safety for the University of Notre Dame, where he served as team captain during his senior year. Jac, on the other hand, took his dad's lead into the world of sports broadcasting. He has worked as a play-by-play announcer and host for NBC Sports, covering major events like the NFL, Notre Dame football and the Olympics.
Though Austin and Jac are now pursuing their own goals, they both recognize the profound impact their father has had on their lives and careers.
“It’s hard to find people you can trust and follow as a leader without any fear of being misled, but he has kind of been that for my entire life without fail,” Austin said in a snippet from a profile on the veteran analyst in December 2018.
Jac added, “Every time they say you sound just like him or you talk just like him or you remind me [of him] or your sense of humor ... thank you. That’s the biggest compliment I could get.”
From their early years to their impressive careers, here’s everything to know about Cris Collinsworth’s two sons, Austin and Jac Collinsworth.
Austin Collinsworth, 33
Austin Collinsworth. Austin Collinsworth/Instagram
Collinsworth and his wife, Holly, welcomed Austin Collinsworth on Dec. 24, 1991.
Like his father, Austin excelled as a standout athlete, playing safety for the University of Notre Dame. During his time there, he was named team captain in his senior year and earned Academic All-American honors.
These results were what Collinsworth envisioned when Notre Dame showed interest in his son. He thought the school was a perfect fit for Austin, but was determined to let him decide for himself.
During a recruiting trip, Austin turned to his dad as they walked through the tunnel onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium and asked for his thoughts.
“And I wanted to say, `What do I think? What, are you nuts?' ” Collinsworth recalled in an interview with FightingIrish.com in October 2014. “This is Notre Dame, the greatest college players in the history of the world have walked through this tunnel out onto this field. This is where you should go. This is awesome. But I said, ‘I don’t know Austin, what do you think?’ ”
Cris Collinsworth with his son Austin Collinsworth. Austin Collinsworth/Instagram
Unfortunately, injuries cut the Kentucky native’s football career short. He missed the 2012 BCS National Championship Game after surgeries to fix a herniated disc and another to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
In 2014, Austin graduated with a degree in finance from Notre Dame, per his LinkedIn. The following year, he earned a master's of business administration at the school's Mendoza College of Business.
Professionally, Austin remains close to the game as the chief operating officer of sports analytics company Pro Football Focus. He has held the position since December 2020.
When he’s not working, Austin enjoys spending time with his parents and siblings. His social media features posts of Austin at a Lakers game with his younger brother Jac, attending the wedding of his college friends, eating pasta in Italy and sharing throwback photos with his dad.
Jac Collinsworth, 30
Cris Collinsworth with his son Jac Collinsworth. Jac Collinsworth/Instagram
Collinsworth and Holly welcomed Jac Collinsworth on Feb. 13, 1995.
He played varsity basketball and football at Highlands High School, where he had the unique opportunity to be coached by his dad, who joined the staff as a wide receivers coach in 2011.
On top of coaching and broadcasting, his father was also involved in his education, often putting in extra hours to help with tough homework assignments.
“I’m like ‘Dad, this is calculus, I can’t figure out how to do this equation,' ” Jac recalled during an interview with Awful Announcing in November 2022. “He would put that clicker down and come up, and he would be deep in the math book, going through the chapters, learning all this calculus that he hasn’t done in 40 years."
He continued, "I’d come down at six in the morning, and he’d still be flipping through the math book while I’m eating breakfast, and he’s teaching me the lesson to make sure I got it for the quiz. That’s how he was ... just the work element is the biggest thing that I still use every day and I definitely got it from him.”
Like his brother, Jac attended the University of Notre Dame. His time was filled with early broadcasting opportunities, including sideline production at Fighting Irish games and becoming the first-ever social media correspondent during NBC’s coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics, per a bio.
Cris Collinsworth and his wife Holly with their son Jac Collinsworth. Cris Collinsworth/Instagram
Jac graduated from Notre Dame with a film, television and theatre degree in 2017.
Jac’s professional career started at ESPN, covering the NFL and contributing to Sunday NFL Countdown. He later joined NBC Sports in 2020, taking on roles that included hosting Football Night in America and contributing to Notre Dame Football coverage on NBC.
The rising broadcaster has heard the skepticism surrounding his career trajectory as the son of a prominent analyst, but he tries to block out the noise.
“There's always going to be chitter-chatter,” Jac told NFL.com in December 2017. “At the end of the day, if the work stinks, I'm going to be gone. If it is good, I'll be around. The only thing I care about is making the product good.”
Despite the demands of his growing career, Jac remains grounded in family and has expressed deep appreciation for his father's presence in his life, personally and professionally.
“Hey golf partner, math tutor, history professor, driving instructor, football coach, teammate, friend, buddy, my man, my dawg, cc, double c, papa c, cadillac, just so you know I loved every moment and I can’t wait for the next one,” he captioned a birthday post for the family patriarch in June 2020. “Cheers to you today and everyday. Love you Dad.”
