These Lemons Don't Fall Far From Tree

George Lemon, Linfield’s assistant director of campus safety and cornerbacks coach, said having his sons attend Linfield is the best thing he could hope for.

Team Lemon: Chet (24), Chase (54), Bubba (3), Mychal (22) and George. Photo courtesy: Linfield Athletics

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - What do faith, family, education and football have in common? They’re all priorities for the Lemon family.

New to McMinnville since 2002, the Lemons have something unique about them besides their tight-knit relationship and ability to entertain simply by being around one another: All four sons are playing for the Linfield football team this season while dad coaches and mom watches in the stands.

While the father-son, coach-player situation is not a new concept, what is different about this season is that never before have four brothers been on a sports team at the same time.

The Lemon family’s situation is so unique that reporters from ESPN’s “Game Day” program are traveling from Connecticut to profile the family during a three-day visit coinciding with football team’s game against Pacific Lutheran University.

For the Lemons, the publicity for their current situation isn’t new. Their grandfather, Meadowlark Lemon, was a big star for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters. Father Meadow Lemon, known to everyone at Linfield as George, has been involved in broadcasting and arena football. Because of that the family is used to being in the limelight.

“Pretty much [having the attention on us all the time] was how we were raised,” said Bubba Lemon (Soph., Tualatin, Ore.), the third of four Lemon boys. “So we just have to be good representatives for what we stand for.”

Meadowlark said he trusts that his grandsons have adjusted will to the publicity and that through the example he has set they will be able to handle their fame “the right way.”

Nick Safir (Fr., Oakland, Calif.), a fellow teammate and good friend of Chase Lemon (Jr., Tualatin, Ore.), said the Lemons are key to the success of the team and despite the fame, they don’t consider themselves more important.

“If there’s one family that deserves to be recognized by ESPN it’s the Lemons,” Safir said.

Their mother, Barbara, says the attention her sons are used to has helped them in many ways and will continue to do so throughout their lives.

“They are more balanced and educated,” she said. “It has prepared them for the rest of their lives.”

George Lemon, Linfield’s assistant director of campus safety and cornerbacks coach, said having his sons attend Linfield is the best thing he could hope for.

Not only does he get to spend quality time with his sons, Chet Lemon (Sr., Knoxville, Tenn.), Chase, Bubba, and Mychal, in their spare time, but he can be with them on the football field and is assured they are getting a quality education and being part of a team at the same time, all things he said they will benefit from later in life.

“I just believe in the academics, I believe in the people, the athletic program, I know the education program is second to none and the football experience you walk away with is like none other,” George Lemon said.

George said he and Barbara have tried to bring up their sons in the best way they could and echoed the sentiment that setting an example for others is one of the main lessons they instilled in their children early on. They emphasize faith, family, education and football as their four main priorities, and in that order, too.

“George and I decided to lead by example,” Barbara said. “We use the Bible as an instruction manual for the family and [because of that the boys] have a lot of integrity.”

Meadowlark said he is proud of his family and their attitudes about spending most of their lives in the limelight.

“I’m happy for my son and what he’s done for my grandsons,” he said. “They’re all playing college football and that’s never been done before.”

It’s easy to see that the Lemon family is a close one, and have always been that way. Having relocated so many times, forcing the family members to adjust to new environments is a major reason for the strong family bond.

“We’ve moved around because of jobs almost every two years,” Chase said. “But the consistent factor has always been [our family]. We’ve started our lives over and over again but it’s always been us. Being here [at Linfield] is just another stage of our lives.”

George is so adamant his family rely on its priorities because it has been key in their lives for so long. He said faith and family are first and foremost because they have helped them through tough times.

“The [thing] about faith is that you have confidence in something,” George said. “We have faith and we have confidence in faith and in our family so we know that’s going to get us through [the hard times] so that removes a lot of anxiety.”

He said another reason his sons have adjusted to Linfield and the team is because they have learned how to adapt to new situations and operate under countless new rules and circumstances, a skill that will help them later in life as well.

However, George wasn’t always confident his family would fit in. He describes them as a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, but so far he said he feels like Linfield is where they are meant to be.

“Linfield’s a more conservative environment than where they had been come and that might be where [George] had fears,” Wildcats head coach Joe Smith said. “But the football program is really welcoming of everybody. Once you’re a Wildcat, you’re one of the family. I think that put all those concerns to rest for them. They fit in great, they’re huge pieces of the puzzle for us.”

While football was the initial draw to Linfield for George and his family, the quality of education is also something that will supplement their experience.

“I like the school because of the size of it,” Chase said. “With the small community the faculty really does know us a lot, which is good because we’re making future ties and that could help us out later.”

The priorities the family has are echoed in the football team as well, an aspect of the program that appealed to George.

“[The values are] what you find unique about our football program, which parallel our family,” he said.

Chase especially appreciates the quality leadership by Smith and defensive coach Jackson Vaughan because he is pursuing a major in education with a minor in coaching.

“To sit under Coach Smith and Coach Vaughan is amazing,” he said. “They’re probably the best two coaches there are, so I’m using my time here to learn from them. They both have a lot of dedication, religious background and are family oriented.”

Because all four of the Lemon sons are so close in age, one would think it would be difficult to tell the difference between them. That, however, is not the case. Chase, Bubba and Mychal all describe Chet as the definite older brother. He is always looking out for his younger siblings and especially helped them adjust to being at Linfield.

“I wouldn’t have gotten through [my first year here] without Chet,” Bubba said. “He paved the way for us, which is a good thing because if I had been cut my first year it would have been awkward!”

While Chet is the father-figure of the group, Barbara describes Chase as the quiet one who most takes after her. Bubba is the opposite, described by his brothers as the one you “hear before you see.” Mychal is described as the baby of the family and having the traits of all his older brothers combined.

Despite their different personalities, all four enjoy spending time together, whether it is intentional or not. They report going home on several occasions without telling another brother, only to find that everyone had the same idea.

Chet said coming to Linfield was a perfect fit for him and having his parents and brothers so close only strengthens their already tight bond. He said they enjoy going golfing together and spending time at home whenever possible.

“Every chance we got [when we were younger] we always played together,” Mychal said. “And that’s one thing I really value about having a big family: playing with my brothers [doing] normal activities. It seems like all of those normal family things growing up really helped us.”

Having fun is also a big priority for the family. There is never a dull moment with the Lemons, and anyone who spends time with them can see that. The Lemons love life and being together, and as far as they are concerned, that will never change.

Story by: Kelly Copeland

Courtesy: Linfield Athletics

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