‘Mamba’ made Kobe an icon in NFL circles
MIAMI – It’s impossible to step foot in an NFL locker room without sensing and learning of the influence and respect that Kobe Bryant commanded on the gridiron as well.
“Mamba mentality” is the term Bryant coined to describe the level of intense focus and relentless approach he took both in preparation and in competition. That mental fortitude is one NFL players have tried to emulate.
Many NFL stars – some of whom grew up as pro athletes alongside Bryant, others who followed his career as youths – hold such appreciation for Bryant because they learned from him through interactions or lessons relayed by others.
Bryant, NFL players will tell you, taught athletes that to achieve a truly elite level, one must train, study and compete with a fervor that exceeds the status quo, and then find ways to go even deeper.
A lot of NFL stars those Bryant-inspired as life-changing.
“Kobe’s impact transcends the game of basketball. It transcends life,” Saints linebacker Demario Davis said. “Mamba mentality is more of an approach than anything else. It’s about attacking what’s in front of you with passion and purpose, without fear and doubt and without an ounce of quit. No matter what it is, good/bad; success/failure that’s your approach . ... That’s what I learned from him.”
During the most intense stretches of Bryant’s rivalry with LeBron James, Davis chose James’ side. But it wasn’t until Bryant’s retirement that he started to truly appreciate the player he viewed as a villain thanks to the “Detail” episodes Bryant hosted on ESPN+.
That’s when Davis classify lessons really started to respect Bryant.
Said Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III, “Mamba mentality gave people hope – hope that if you stay focused and work hard enough, your goals are attainable, and not to let anyone stop you.”
Bryant also shaped players with his humility, which he displayed in his thirst for knowledge and his love for discussing both his craft and theirs.
In 2013, when Bryant tore his Achilles tendon, he reached out to Griffin, then Washington’s star quarterback. Griffin had twice suffered a torn ACL, and Bryant wanted to pick his brain on recovery methods and what doctors he had seen.
“It meant a lot to me for him to personally seek me out for that when I know there were other people he could have reached out to,” Griffin said. “I will always remember those conversations with him.
“I just saw him a few weeks ago in L.A. at a volleyball game. He was with his daughter for a recruiting visit to USC and I was there with my wife watching my sister-in-law play for Oregon. When they announced us on the video board for the beginning of the game, Kobe looked over at me and waved and nodded. I waved and nodded back, and he mouthed the words ‘thank you’ back.
“All these years later and he still remembered those conversations after he tore his Achilles. No matter how big or small the world made you feel, Kobe made you feel important.”
Bryant’s death hit many NFL players hard because of another bond they shared with him: fatherhood.
“It was cool for me to see someone who had the passion and discipline to be great in so many different areas while realizing how important family was,” said Lorenzo Alexander, a former linebacker who retired in January after 13 NFL seasons.