If you are a fan of American football or basketball, you might have heard of two athletes with the same surname: Tyrone Swoopes and Sheryl Swoopes. Tyrone is a former quarterback who played for the Texas Longhorns and later switched to tight end in the NFL. Sheryl is a legendary basketball player who won four WNBA titles, three Olympic gold medals, and three WNBA MVP awards. But are they related? The answer is no, they are not.
How Do We Know They Are Not Related?
The most obvious way to find out if two people are related is to look at their family trees. However, this is not always easy or possible, especially for celebrities who value their privacy. Fortunately, there are other ways to get some clues about their ancestry and origins.
One way is to look at their birthplaces and hometowns. Tyrone was born in Stephenville, Texas, and grew up in Whitewright, Texas. Sheryl was born in Brownfield, Texas, and grew up in the same town. These places are about 400 miles apart, which makes it unlikely that they share any close relatives.
Another way is to look at their ethnic backgrounds. Tyrone is African American, while Sheryl is of mixed race. According to Wikipedia, Sheryl’s father was African American and her mother was Native American. Tyrone’s parents are both African American, according to his college profile. This means that they have different genetic histories and ancestries.
A third way is to look at their social media accounts. Tyrone and Sheryl both have Twitter accounts, but they do not follow each other or interact with each other online. They also do not mention each other in any of their posts or interviews. This suggests that they do not know each other personally or professionally.
Why Do They Have the Same Surname?
The fact that Tyrone and Sheryl have the same surname is probably a coincidence. Swoopes is not a very common surname in the United States, but it is not unique either. According to Ancestry.com, there are about 1,500 people with the surname Swoopes in the country, mostly concentrated in Texas and Georgia. The origin of the name is unclear, but it could be derived from a German word meaning “swift” or “fast”.
It is possible that Tyrone and Sheryl share a distant ancestor who had the surname Swoopes, but this would be very hard to prove without extensive genealogical research. It is more likely that they have no relation at all, and that their surname is just a random similarity.
Conclusion
Tyrone Swoopes and Sheryl Swoopes are two successful athletes who happen to have the same surname. However, they are not related by blood or by marriage. They have different birthplaces, ethnic backgrounds, and social circles. They also do not seem to know each other or acknowledge each other publicly. Therefore, we can conclude that they are not related in any way.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and learned something new about these two sports stars. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them below. Thank you for your attention!
