Is Falcons' CB related to Kobe Bryant? Why Coby has such a similar name

Billy Heyen

Is Falcons' CB related to Kobe Bryant? Why Coby has such a similar name image

One of the most frequently said names on Thursday Night Football has been Coby Bryant.

Yes, that's spelled right, but pronounced like Kobe Bryant.

This Bryant, Coby, is new to the Atlanta Falcons and is a talented cornerback formerly of the Seattle Seahawks.

He's not the only player in the sports world whose name is pronounced like Kobe's.

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Is Falcons' CB Coby related to Kobe Bryant?

Coby Bryant of the Atlanta Falcons 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."

He's trying to make a name for himself, too.

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