Is Seahawks' CB related to Kobe Bryant? Why name is so popular even with different spelling

The sports world is now filled with athletes named Kobe.

Kobe Bryant emerged as a star for the Los Angeles Lakers in the late-90s, and his first name quickly caught on. It's not uncommon to turn on a broadcast of any number of competitions and hear the name "Kobe," sometimes with a different spelling.

What's less common is to hear the apparent words "Kobe Bryant."

But everyone who watches the Seattle Seahawks gets the chance. Except, if you saw it written out, it wouldn't be quite the same.

The Seahawks have a talented cornerback whose name is Coby Bryant.

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Is Seahawks' cornerback related to Kobe Bryant?

Coby Bryant of the Seattle Seahawks isn't related to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

But he's most certainly named after him.

This Bryant was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and shortly after his selection, he explained to reporters what the name meant to him.

"Not really pressure," Bryant said in 2022, via ESPN. "More of a privilege, honestly. It just means I have to work twice as hard to live up to that name and set a name for myself as well too and, most importantly, represent him as well as I can."

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Coby shared that his parents loved Kobe.

"My parents loved Kobe Bryant and everything he brought to the table, not only as an athlete but as a human being himself and how he carried himself," the Seahawks' Bryant said. "So that's somebody that they ultimately knew right away that that was somebody they wanted to name me after."

Now in his fourth NFL season, Coby Bryant is doing his best to stand out. But he'll always have a name that captures sports fans' attention for another reason.

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