Like father, like son. Russell Maryland, a Cowboys legend, now sees his son R.J. join the Packers, bringing explosive athleticism and a compelling draft narrative.
DALLAS - R.J. Maryland would love to follow in the footsteps of his famous football father, Russell Maryland.
But he'll do it on the other side of the ball.
And he'll do it on the other sideline opposite where Russell once roamed for the three-time Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s.
Russell Maryland had a 10-year NFL career during the 1990s, one that concluded after the 2000 season, which he spent playing for - maybe ironically - the Green Bay Packers.
And now his son R.J. Maryland is moving to Wisconsin as well as a UDFA signing of those same Packers - a bitter rival of the Cowboys he grew up rooting for.
Dad started his career out at the top, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, the University of Miami defensive lineman landing in Dallas.
Son will begin his climb from a bottom rung as an undrafted rookie following his fine work playing his college football at Southern Methodist University, right down the highway from Cowboys headquarters in Frisco.
After going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, R.J. Maryland is reportedly signing with the Packers as a rookie free agent.
At 6-foot-4 and a shade under 240 pounds, he's not built like his roundish dad ... and the younger Maryland ran a crisp 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, posting a time of 4.51 seconds.
During his sophomore season, he put up numbers - 34 catches for 518 yards and seven touchdowns.
And across his four years at SMU, Maryland totaled close to 1,500 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. This mark set the program record for touchdowns by a Mustang tight end.
But midway through his junior season, he injured his knee. And as senior, it seemed like he was still building his way back to full health.
Outside of his physical skillset, he served as a leader for an SMU squad that brought the program back to national relevancy. Maryland was a member of two teams that made trips to a conference title game, once in the American and once in the ACC. The latter group of Mustangs also made the program debut in the College Football Playoff.
Maybe character will help, but ...
Maryland, who spent all four seasons with the Mustangs after he starred in high school at nearby Southlake, faces an uphill battle now, even if fully healthy.
And he'll do it not in Dallas but in Green Bay.