Pat Bryant shares a last name with one of the most iconic athletes in American sports history, but the Denver Broncos wide receiver has zero family connection to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. They share the same surname, but have no ties to one another.
The Denver Broncos rookie is building his own name in professional sports through an entirely different lineage, one rooted in Duval County and shaped by parents who emphasized education and discipline over shortcuts.
Get to Know Broncos WR Pat Bryant and His Family
Bryant was born Dec. 10, 2002, to Patrick Bryant Sr. and Louanne Harris-Bryant in Jacksonville. His father served as the Athletic Director at the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, and both of his parents hold master’s degrees.
They drove their son 45 minutes each morning from the north side of Jacksonville to Atlantic Coast High School on the south side so he could attend a more diverse school than the options closer to home.
Pat has three siblings (two brothers and one sister), including his older brother Brandon Harris, who played college football at USF.
The 23-year-old caught 54 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior year at Illinois before the Broncos selected him with the 74th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Many evaluators projected him to go later due to his 4.61-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. However, Sean Payton’s staff saw something different in the physical, willing blocker who fits their preferred receiver profile.
His mother, Louanne, told reporters she was “totally shocked” when the Broncos selected her son in the third round.
Pat Isn’t the Only Bryant in the NFL
The last name Bryant creates inevitable curiosity, as Pat joins a growing list of NFL players who happen to share the name with basketball royalty without sharing bloodlines.
Coby Bryant, a defensive back for the Seattle Seahawks, was deliberately named after the Lakers legend. His parents changed the spelling for uniqueness, but the 1999-born DB has embraced the connection since entering the league in 2022 as a fourth-round pick. He wears No. 8 in tribute to the number Kobe wore for the first half of his NBA career.
“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,” Coby Bryant told reporters after his draft selection. “So that’s somebody that they ultimately knew right away that that was somebody they wanted to name me after.”
Cobee Bryant, a cornerback who signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2025, carries a similar story. His father told him he was named after the five-time NBA champion, though Cobee has said he’s never been entirely certain if that was the sole reason for his name.
Thomas Bryant, the NBA center who at one point played for the Lakers, has fielded the same questions throughout his career despite having no family connection to Kobe.
Pat Bryant has taken his own path, and he’s carving out an impressive career of his own. The family’s journey had nothing to do with inherited fame and everything to do with a kid who told his mother in middle school that he planned to play in the NFL, then held himself to that standard every day afterward.
Bryant finished his rookie season with 31 catches for 378 yards and a touchdown across 15 appearances. Now, he’s two victories away from doing something that Kobe did often throughout his legendary career: winning a championship ring.
