Coby Bryant is one of the most versatile starters in Mike Macdonald’s defense, though most fans will immediately recognize the Seattle Seahawks defensive back for his familiar-sounding name.
Yes, the fourth-round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft shares a very similar name with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. The NBA Hall of Famer, who wore No. 8 and No. 24 during his legendary career, is the inspiration for the Seahawks cornerback’s decision to wear No. 8 in Seattle.
However, despite their identical last names and nearly identical first names, the two are not related.
Coby Bryant’s Relationship To Lakers Icon Kobe Bryant
As you might expect, Coby was in fact named after the Lakers star, though his parents changed the spelling of “Kobe” to maintain his unique identity.
Bryant made waves during the Seahawks’ Thursday Night Football matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, securing an easy interception of quarterback Kyler Murray before immediately losing possession of the ball when his own teammate ran into him.
Kyler throws directly to Coby Bryant who then gets tackled by his own teammate and fumbles 😂 https://t.co/iDXcGut4Qu pic.twitter.com/jchC0jwRYn
— Underdog (@Underdog) September 26, 2025
A Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Year winner in college, Bryant has become a mainstay in the Seahawks’ secondary. He’s played cornerback and both safety positions since being drafted in 2022, recording three interceptions last season. He’s up to two picks already this year, though he obviously fumbled away the most recent one.
Though the two Bryants are not related, Coby does have some NFL lineage in his family. His older brother, Christian (C.B.) Bryant was a seventh-round pick of the then-St. Louis Rams in 2014. C.B. was also a defensive back, playing for the Rams and Cardinals in his two-year career.
Coby developed a reputation for living up to the “Mamba Mentality” made popular by his namesake. While at Cincinnati, the cornerback played nine games with a cast on his broken hand, showcasing some of the same tenacity and grit that the NBA legend was famous for.
Now in his fourth season in the NFL, Bryant is a full-time starter for the first time. He earned plenty of playing time as a rookie when he forced four fumbles and recorded 2.0 sacks despite playing just 65% of the defense’s snaps, though he missed most of the 2023 campaign due to multiple toe injuries.
He returned to the lineup last year, starting 11 of his 17 appearances and playing 70% of snaps. He’s up to 97% through the Seahawks’ first three games of the 2025 season.
