Green Bay Packers right tackle Zach Tom has officially changed his last name to Zach Bako-Bewele at age 27 to honor his Nigerian heritage. The Baton Rouge native adopted his paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather's last names so he can pass his family history down to future generations.
"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 told reporters at training camp. "People will see that name and have a good understanding of who I am, where I come from."
The name Bako-Bewele was emblazoned across the back of the fifth-year professional's practice jersey on Sunday, marking a major milestone in a process that took years to complete. Bako-Bewele, a former National Honor Society member and three-year academic letterman at Wake Forest, said he had considered making the change since college.
"Yeah, probably for a few years, probably back since college at least," Bako-Bewele said. "But this offseason, I kind of did a little bit more research. It just kind of came to me, and I just wanted to do it. I had time, so I was just like, 'Let's just go ahead and get it done.'
Green Bay fans voiced enthusiasm for the name change on social media platform X. One supporter called it a "sick a** name" and predicted the jersey would look much better, while another predicted an All-Pro season ahead. A third fan remarked that having two first names as a full name freaked them out, calling the update a good move for the offensive lineman, whose original surname origins remain unclear.
Injury recovery and contract details
Bako-Bewele signed a four-year, $88 million contract extension a year ago. However, he missed five regular-season games and the team's Wildcard playoff loss in 2025 because of a knee injury.
Months after undergoing knee surgery, Bako-Bewele is still not back to full speed on the field. ESPN reported that he has been limited to individual drills and walk-through snaps during training camp practices.
"It's getting better," Bako-Bewele said. "Hopefully I can start doing team within a week or so, but yeah I mean I'm out there moving around. I feel good, look good, so it's time to get it going."
Performance record and roster changes
The converted center has maintained an impressive discipline record throughout his professional career. According to Pro Football Reference, Bako-Bewele has not committed a single holding penalty across four NFL seasons and has recorded only five false starts over that span.
The Green Bay Packers are entering the new season following a 9-7-1 campaign. The roster features several new additions alongside Bako-Bewele's new name, including former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, versatile former Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Benjamin St-Juste, and former Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin, who was acquired in exchange for Colby Wooden.
