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Packers Star Announces He Legally Changed His Name
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The Green Bay Packers are at Ray Nitschke Field for training camp, and several compelling headlines have already surfaced.
Star tight end Tucker Kraft was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, a significant step in his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last November. Quarterback Jordan Love said he's " expecting big things " from the Pack this season. All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parson isn't on the field, as he's still recovering from his torn ACL, and won't play to start the season , but he still has a presence at camp.
And then there's the right tackle formerly known as Zach Tom, who legally changed his name to Zach Bako-Bewele to honor his Nigerian roots.
"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," Bako-Bewele said, according to the Packers' official website . "When [my grandfather] was coming over — because they don't really do names the same way — it got changed because Tom is my dad's dad's first name."
"I want to have a name, especially when I start having kids and stuff, I want to have a name that I can pass down where it represents where they came from, where I came from," Bako-Bewele added.
The Packers selected Bako-Bewele out of Wake Forest in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He emerged as an incredibly reliable tackle, starting all 17 games in 2023 and 2024, before struggling with injuries last season. Regardless, Bako-Bewele was one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL. Even if his name is different, the Packers can bank on his production remaining the same in 2026.
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