Coby Bryant of the University of Cincinnati has been named the 2021 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Winner, awarded to the top defensive back in college football. The announcement was made live virtually during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. Bryant was presented the 2021 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award on behalf of Paycom and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

Bryant is the first defensive back from Cincinnati to be awarded the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award. He led overall ballots as a 49.65% first place vote favorite in the nationwide voting.

Bryant was a leader on defense and became one of the most reliable players for not only the Bearcats’ undefeated 2021 regular season, but started in 49 of his total 62 career games. The senior cornerback is named after late NBA legend Kobe Bryant and has been known to channel Kobe's "Mamba Mentality" on the field.

"My parents loved Kobe Bryant, and my brother does too," Coby said. "So I was named for Kobe Bryant — it's just spelled differently."

A tremendous cornerback who has been locked in all season, Bryant was responsible for 41 tackles, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, 11 pass break ups and 14 passes defended. His efforts led the Bearcats to consecutive number one rankings in the AAC for interceptions, passes defended, passing yards allowed per game, passer rating against and completion percentage against.

Bryant's 45 career passes defended are the second most in Cincinnati history, and his 10 career interceptions are the sixth most in Cincinnati history. Along with 167 tackles, 35 career pass break ups, five forced fumbles and a 48-14 record across his career thus far, Bryant ranks in the top three in the nation among active players.

He was named to the 2021 All-AAC First Team for the second straight year; collected PFF College National Team of the Week honors (Oct. 18), Lott Trophy Impact Player of the Week honors (Oct. 2) and two AAC Weekly Honor Roll recognitions; and was named a Lott Impact Trophy Semifinalist.

Paycom and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame will honor Bryant at the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet on Feb. 8, 2022, in Oklahoma City.

For ticketing and advertising information regarding the upcoming banquet, please reach out to Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame directly.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about this association.

The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is awarded to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The award was established in 1986 and is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is universally accepted as one of the nation's top collegiate sports honors.

Paycom Software, Inc. (“Paycom”) (NYSE: PAYC), a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, and the Jim Thorpe Museum and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame jointly announced in May 2017 an exclusive sponsorship of the Jim Thorpe Award. As a result, the accolade has been named the “Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.”

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