A Seattle Seahawks cornerback has announced an interesting name change ahead of the upcoming 2023 NFL season.
Tariq Woolen, a rising star in the league who earned a Pro Bowl selection at the end of his rookie campaign in 2022, is no longer going by the name Tariq. He’s just “Riq” now.
The CB confirmed having undergone an official changing of names after fans and analysts noticed a difference on the Seahawks’ official roster, explaining that’s how everyone calls him so he figured he should just stick to it.
“Cause all my friends call me Riq, and it’s kind of cool,” he said.
The player had been wearing a huge iced-out chain bearing the name “Riq” even before his first game in the NFL.
The 24-year-old also confirmed that his new name has been approved by his mother, Nola Woolen.
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“She calls me Riq, that’s what my family calls me, that’s what my friends call me,” he noted.
Tariq finished third in the voting for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and, as noted above, went to the Pro Bowl. He was also the interceptions co-leader in 2022.
Riq, on the other hand, is going to have to start fresh. But the change isn’t going to be a problem for his coaches and teammates since that’s what they were already calling him.
