Packers Star Zach Tom Is Changing His Name

Green Bay Packers fans have a new name to learn for one of their top offensive linemen. Right tackle Zach Tom is in the midst of formally changing his last name to Zach Bako-Bewele, a nod to his Nigerian roots and his grandparents' surnames, which his new surname combines, USA Today reports. The 2022 fourth-round pick said he wants a name he can pass down that clearly reflects his family's heritage. "People will see that name and have a good understanding of who I am and where I come from," he told reporters Sunday. The 27-year-old said he had been thinking about making the change for years.

"Just doing some research, talking to my dad a little bit, I just wanted to have a name that represented where I came from, my ancestry, just get back to my roots," he told the Athletic. Tom, he said, is his father's surname but his grandfather's first name. "They don't really do names the same way," he said of his Nigerian ancestors. The switch is already visible on the Packers' website and in the locker room. Bako-Bewele, who locked down the right tackle spot last season, earned an 83.5 Pro Football Focus grade in 2023, ranking him among the NFL's better tackles.