Sonny Styles Parents: Meet Laverna and Lorenzo Styles Sr.

Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles has emerged as one of the best players in this year’s NFL Draft, with some saying he’s the best defensive player. Period. After a strong Combine performance in Indiana that saw him become the only player at least 230 pounds to run a sub-4.5 40 with a 40-plus inch vertical and an 11-foot-plus broad jump, according to NFL Research, he’s now projected to go as soon as No. 2 overall.

Interestingly, Sonny’s insane athleticism seems to run in the family. He may still be on his way to NFL stardom, but his father checked that box long ago with a Super Bowl ring to his name.

So, who’s Sonny’s father? That would be Lorenzo Styles, a former linebacker himself. Before Sonny, Lorenzo Styles played for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1992 to 1994, leading the team in tackles for two seasons. He also earned a two-time First-team All-Big Ten selection.

Papa Styles was then picked in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Falcons, with whom he played two years. He played the rest of his four-year NFL career with the Rams after being traded, winning Super Bowl XXIV there.

Lorenzo went on to try coaching down the line, first becoming a linebackers coach for the Ohio Dominican University Panthers in 2009. He then became head coach for a single year for the Marion Blue Racers in 2011.

The following year, Styles became an outside linebackers coach for the Pickerington Central Tigers. He was on the staff when the team won Division I state championships in 2017 and 2019.

Sonny’s mother, meanwhile, is Laverna Styles. She’s also an Ohio State graduate and has been a vocal supporter of her son’s football career. She recently revealed that Sonny’s name is actually Alex. His name was changed after their father got inspired by the same name from the movie The Godfather. Alex’s hot-temper reportedly led to the name change.

Sonny has surely made his parents proud with an insane NFL Combine performance. At 6’5″ and 244 pounds, he managed a 43.5-inch vertical jump (1st all-time among LBs), an 11-foot-2 broad jump (T-4th all-time), and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash. He could be picked as soon as No. 2 by the Jets, third by the Cardinals, 4th by the Titans, fifth by the Giants, or seventh by the Commanders.

Sonny also has a brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr., who had an explosive Combine performance of his own. He posted an insane official 4.27-second 40-yard dash, fastest among all defensive players. He has been projected as a Day 3 pick, but after that 40-yard dash, he could very well be picked late on Day 2.

Athleticism clearly runs in the Styles family!