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New Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant is known for being named after Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, and he isn’t shying away from it as he enters the NFL.
The Seattle rookie posted on his Instagram that he will wear No. 8 with Seattle to honor Kobe, since that was the Lakers’ star’s number when he first entered the league. No. 24, which Kobe wore to finish his career, currently belongs to Seattle’s Justin Coleman.
Coby wore No. 7 while playing at Cincinnati, but he decided to wear No. 8 in Kobe’s honor for the College Football Playoff semifinal game vs. Alabama. Last year, the cornerback earned first-team All-AAC and won the Jim Thorpe Award for the best defensive back in the country.
According to ESPN, Coby played basketball in high school and wore No. 24 out of respect for the late NBA legend.