Denzel Boston’s parents, Chris and Rechelle Boston, have been an important part of the wide receiver’s journey from childhood football in the Northwest to the NFL.
Boston grew up in a football-focused family and eventually became one of the notable wide receiver prospects in college football. His path led him from Washington to the Cleveland Browns, who selected him in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
His family also became part of the draft-night conversation for an unexpected reason. During ESPN’s coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft, broadcaster Mike Greenberg mistakenly identified Denzel as the son of former NFL wide receiver David Boston. The two players are not related. Denzel’s father is Chris Boston, who was sitting with his son when the Browns selected him. Greenberg later apologized for the mistake.
For Denzel, however, the more important part of his draft-night story was having his actual family beside him.
Who are Denzel Boston’s parents?
Denzel Boston’s parents are Chris and Rechelle Boston.
The couple raised Denzel and his three older brothers. Boston was born in Boise, Idaho, and grew up in the Pacific Northwest before establishing himself as a football player at Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Washington.
His upbringing included a strong connection to sports, particularly football. His father, Chris, has been described as a football coach, while his family provided the support that allowed Denzel to develop as an athlete.
Chris was also the father sitting next to Denzel during the Browns’ draft selection in 2026. That detail became especially relevant after the broadcast mistakenly referred to former NFL receiver David Boston as Denzel’s father.
Who is Denzel Boston’s father, Chris Boston?
Chris Boston has played an important role in his son’s football development.
He has a background in football coaching and was involved in the athletic development of his children. Denzel did not simply grow up watching football from the sidelines. He had a father who understood the game and could help guide him as he developed his own skills.
The family environment gave Denzel an early connection to the sport.
Chris was also part of a family that included several football players. Denzel’s older brother Andrew Boston pursued football as well, creating an environment where competition, training and the sport itself were familiar parts of everyday life.
That background helped make football more than just an after-school activity for Denzel.
It became a major part of his identity.
Who is Denzel Boston’s mother, Rechelle Boston?
Rechelle Boston is Denzel’s mother and one of the key members of the family that supported his development.
Unlike her son’s increasingly public football career, Rechelle has generally maintained a more private profile.
She and Chris raised their children in a close family environment, first in Boise and later in Washington. Their support extended beyond football, helping Denzel manage the demands that came with being a student-athlete.
For young athletes, reaching the professional level involves much more than talent. There are practices, travel, school responsibilities, training and the everyday demands of growing up.
Having parents who provide stability through those years can make a major difference.
Rechelle’s role was part of that foundation for Denzel.
Denzel Boston grew up with three older brothers
Denzel is the youngest of four brothers.
Growing up with three older siblings meant he was surrounded by people who were ahead of him in age and experience. One of those brothers, Andrew Boston, also developed a football career.
Andrew played college football at Eastern Washington and later pursued professional opportunities, including time with the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Having an older brother who played football gave Denzel another example to follow.
It also meant the family had more than one athlete to support.
The Boston household was therefore not unfamiliar with the demands of college football, training and the possibility of playing beyond the collegiate level.
The family connection to football
Denzel Boston’s path to the NFL was built around years of development.
He eventually played at the University of Washington, where he became a productive wide receiver. During the 2025 college football season, he recorded 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Those numbers helped make him an attractive NFL prospect.
His size also became part of his profile. Boston entered the draft as a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, giving him a physical presence that teams could use in contested situations and around the red zone.
But the story did not begin at Washington.
His football education started much earlier, with the support of his family and the coaching influence of his father.
Denzel Boston was not related to David Boston
One of the biggest stories surrounding Denzel’s family came during the 2026 NFL Draft.
When the Cleveland Browns selected Boston with the 39th overall pick in the second round, ESPN broadcaster Mike Greenberg incorrectly said that Denzel was the son of former NFL wide receiver David Boston.
David Boston was a first-round pick from Ohio State in 1999 and had a successful professional career. Because both players are wide receivers with the Boston surname, the mistaken connection quickly attracted attention.
But the two are not related.
Denzel’s father is Chris Boston, not David Boston. The distinction was confirmed in reports following the broadcast.
The mistake was particularly noticeable because Denzel’s actual father, Chris, was visible beside him during the draft celebration.
Mike Greenberg apologized for the mistake
Greenberg later addressed the error during the broadcast.
He acknowledged that he had incorrectly identified Denzel as David Boston’s son and said the mistake came from his research. He specifically clarified that Denzel and David Boston were not related and apologized to both men.
The clarification settled one of the biggest questions surrounding Denzel’s family background on draft night.
It also brought attention to Chris Boston, the man who was actually sitting beside his son as the Browns called Denzel’s name.
For the Boston family, the moment was about Denzel reaching the NFL, even though the broadcast briefly shifted attention toward a family connection that did not exist.
From Boise to Washington
Denzel was born in Boise, Idaho, and spent part of his childhood there before his family moved to the Puyallup area in Washington.
He eventually attended Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup and developed into a highly regarded football prospect.
The Pacific Northwest remained an important part of his identity as he moved from high school football to the University of Washington.
At Washington, Boston became a key offensive player and continued improving his skills against major college competition.
His success eventually put him in position to enter the NFL Draft.
The 2026 NFL Draft was a family moment
When Cleveland selected Denzel 39th overall, his family was there to experience the moment.
The draft is often presented as an individual achievement, but for players and their families it can represent years of shared work.
Parents have usually seen the less glamorous parts of the journey, including early practices, travel, training and setbacks.
For Chris and Rechelle Boston, watching their son become an NFL player represented the continuation of a football journey that started when he was young.
Chris’s coaching background made the football connection especially direct, while Rechelle helped provide the family support surrounding Denzel’s development.
Denzel Boston’s family remains part of his story
Denzel Boston’s rise from the Pacific Northwest to the Cleveland Browns did not happen in isolation.
His parents, Chris and Rechelle Boston, raised him alongside three older brothers, including Andrew, who also pursued football. His father’s involvement in coaching gave Denzel an early connection to the sport, while his mother helped provide the family foundation around his athletic and academic development.
The family’s football background also made the 2026 draft moment especially meaningful.
Ironically, the night Denzel reached the NFL was also the night his family connection was briefly misunderstood on national television. The confusion over David Boston was later corrected, with Greenberg acknowledging that Denzel’s actual father was Chris.
The facts are simple: Denzel Boston is the son of Chris and Rechelle Boston, not former NFL receiver David Boston.
As Denzel begins his professional career with the Cleveland Browns, his parents remain an important part of the story behind the player. His NFL journey may now take him far beyond the Pacific Northwest, but the family foundation that helped him reach this point began years earlier at home.