Football family ties

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For some of the best players at Cerritos Gahr, their football talents are in their genes.

Junior quarterback Corey Nielsen, the top passer in California based on statistics compiled at MaxPreps.com, is the nephew of Jon Nielsen, a former Canadian Football League and Arena Football League quarterback who serves as the quarterback and receivers coach at Gahr.

Corey Nielsen has completed 78 of 116 passes for 1,464 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions. He has a completion percentage of 67.2 and averages 366 yards a game. He is ranked 21st among passers nationally.

Snapping the ball to Nielsen is junior center Ryan Willig, whose uncle is former USC player Matt Willig, a member of the Trojans’ 1989 and 1990 Rose Bowl teams.

Matt Willig attended St. Paul High and had a 14-year pro career from 1992-2005 that included stints with six NFL teams. He spent four years with the New York Jets, one with the Green Bay Packers, three with the San Francisco 49ers and two each with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and the St. Louis Rams. He was a member of the Rams’ 1999 team that won Super Bowl XXXIV over Tennessee.

Gahr’s second-leading receiver in terms of yardage, Aaron Bradley, is the nephew of Sidney Johnson, a former pro corner back who played the 1988 season with the Kansas City Chiefs and then spent three seasons with the Washington Redskins. He was a member of the Redskins’ 1991 Super Bowl-winning team.

No wonder Gahr is off to a 3-1 start as the Gladiators head into their nonleague game Friday against visiting Apple Valley Granite Hills.

- Lauren Peterson