Long viewed by even the most astute NFL scouts as an inexact science, the process of evaluating college players, and attempting to project their potential success at the next level, has rarely taken into account the element of bloodlines.

For the most part, genetic codes, genomes and heredity will never replace height, weight and 40-yard times as imperatives. But most scouts notice last names and, in the case of strongside linebackers Michael Boulware of Florida State and Rodney "Boss" Bailey of Georgia, a light goes on when league talent evaluators land on those two campuses.

With good reason.

		My oldest brother, Bob, was only three years removed from Notre Dame football when I arrived in 1981. Because he was so successful, expectations for how I would perform were inevitable. Luckily, we grew up in a very athletic-oriented family, and our parents instilled in us early on that you don't compete against your brothers. As the youngest of three boys, and with Bob being as successful as he was, there were certainly some comparisons, especially when I followed in his footsteps at Notre Dame. But the way I saw it, Bob may have blazed the trail through high school and college, but I had the ability, interest and drive as well. I knew I got to Notre Dame because of my own achievements, not my brother's. By the time I came on the scene, Bob had already been there, done that. Believe me, I was called Bob a lot more than he was called Mike. But I'd just correct the person, let them feel bad for calling me the wrong name for a couple of seconds, and move on. I was ready to blaze my own trail. There was no competitive jealousy at all. More...

Both have celebrated brothers playing in the NFL -- Baltimore Ravens strongside linebacker Peter Boulware and Washington Redskins corner Champ Bailey, respectively -- and that familial bond is more than enough to merit closer scrutiny by league bird-dogs. Scouts might not be able to diagram the DNA double helix, but they know Bailey and Boulware have been wading in a deep athletic gene pool, and the players likewise understand that the attention their last names command provides them a notable head start.

"Well, it certainly doesn't hurt," said Boulware, a junior entering his second season as a starter, and a onetime high school wide receiver who now appears more instinctive on the defensive side of the ball. "When you introduce yourself, people recognize the last name. And you know the next words out of their mouths are going to be, 'Hey, are you related to . . .,' and you just answer before they even finish. But I know I'm not going to play in the NFL just because of my last name."

Clearly, that is the case, but Boulware and Bailey figure to be viable NFL prospects based on their deeds as well. There are times when the athletic imprint laid down by the older sibling is simply too big to step into. That may eventually be the case for Boulware and Bailey, but not yet.

Bailey in particular is highly regarded by league personnel directors. In fact, in the spring ratings of senior prospects by National Football Scouting, Inc., one of two combine services which supply reports to subscriber franchises, Bailey is the highest-graded player at the outside linebacker position. Because he is a junior, Boulware is not rated, and scouts are still loathe to discuss either player this far removed from the 2003 draft.

At nearly 6-feet-4 and 218 pounds, Bailey is a marvelously fluid athlete, one who moves well to the football, and is completely rehabilitated from the knee surgery that wiped out his entire 2000 campaign. In three seasons, he has started 21 of the 33 games in which he appeared and totaled 152 tackles, 1 ½ sacks, two interceptions, and six passes defensed.

But most scouts feel that Bailey is misplaced at strongside linebacker and is a more a weakside guy who needs to play in space. One NFC personnel director, who already has watched some videotape of Bailey, termed him a "chase" player.

	Rodney "Boss" Bailey (45) has 152 tackles for the Dawgs.

"I think I'm a good pursuit guy, a player who can blitz or cover, a good athlete," Bailey, 22, said. "And I think I understand the game pretty well."

For the most part, that understanding comes from being around his older brother, from attending some Redskins games and being a fly on the wall when Champ gets together with teammates. If the skills don't always rub off, and that isn't to suggest Boss Bailey is dreadfully inferior athletically to his Pro Bowl brother, the bearing does. University officials feel Bailey has matured greatly because of his familiar exposure to the pro game.

Boulware, 20, got a taste of NFL life when he attended Super Bowl XXXV two years ago and the experience has stuck with him. "It's the stuff you don't see, like the preparation and hard work, that really affect you," he said.

Like Bailey, the undersized Boulware (6-feet-3 and 212 pounds) might need more bulk to compete at the NFL level. He is more of a longshot than Bailey but also has two seasons of eligibility remaining in which to hone his game and add weight. Having the same big-play mentality as his brother -- evidenced by three interceptions in 2001 and two returns for touchdowns -- will work in Boulware's favor.

Said Boulware: "I'd like a shot at the NFL, sure, that's what you play for. We'll just see how things work out."

This spring, Boulware traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of a group that was starting a Champions for Christ ministry there. Boulware embarked on the adventure with some trepidation and returned steeled by the mission experience.

"I liked the fact," he said, "that it was something I did on my own. When you've got such a famous brother, it's hard sometimes to move out of the shadow. There are always high expectations for you. I always felt like I was my own man but this proved it."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.