What is CeeDee Lamb’s real name? The Cowboys star joins a long list of NFL players who change their name

CeeDee Lamb has made a name for himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL even though he is ironically not the receiver he was born with.

The 25-year-old has dominated headlines in the build-up to the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 1 game against the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

A contract impasse caused Lamb to skip training camp and subsequently rack up thousands of dollars in fines during tense negotiations.

The Louisiana-born athlete was eligible to become a free agent after the season as he remained on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.

However, a breakthrough finally came in late August when the Cowboys made Lamb the second-highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

The pair agreed to terms on a four-year, $136m (£103.7m) contract with $100m (£76m) guaranteed and a record signing bonus of $38m (£28.9m) for a wide receiver.

But in signing the deal to become the highest-paid wide receiver in Cowboys history, Lamb signed paperwork that included a different name.

What is CeeDee Lamb’s real name?

The former Oklahoma standout was born Cedarian DeLeon Lamb.

The NFL is no stranger to players changing their names after being drafted, with an explosion of Sr., Jr., III, IV and V added to jerseys.

For some, it’s purely for cosmetic reasons, while others see it more as a personal thing, but Lamb’s nickname, “CeeDee,” dates back to her youth.

In fact, he used his first name until his first football practice in fourth grade, when he was nine years old.

His coach Darrick Reed tried out the nickname ‘DVD’ because of Lamb’s highlight-reel plays and it soon became simply ‘CD’.

Over the years, the spelling lengthened like the 1.88m star itself and became “CeeDee,” which is what all but one of them use to this day.

“I feel like CeeDee is who I am now,” Lamb said.

“Only my mom calls me that (‘Cedarian’). She calls me that when she’s angry or when I’m in trouble. I like to keep it that way.”

Lamb will now be enjoying the fact that he is no longer in trouble with his team after committing his long-term future to the Cowboys.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy admitted before the season opener that the return of the 2020 recruit will boost his team’s morale.

McCarthy said: “Not only with what he brings to the table, we’ve been talking about what he does with his production, but when he walks in with that big smile in the locker room, everyone’s going to get excited because that’s the type of energy he has.

“He brings that kind of energy to our locker room.”