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Over the years, Dallas Cowboys fans have been lucky enough to see plenty of talented players suit up for their team. During the dynasty years, the likes of Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith led the club to glory; while recent results haven’t been as impressive, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are still legitimate stars. Once the 2020 season kicks off, rookie CeeDee Lamb could join them in the upper echelon.

While the rookie receiver hasn’t taken the field for an NFL game yet, he’s already an exciting name in Big D. CeeDee, however, isn’t his given name.

CeeDee Lamb’s road to the NFL

As soon as he signed his contract with the Dallas Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb became a multi-millionaire. Despite that wealth, though, the receiver wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Lamb grew up in Louisiana but had to leave home due to Hurricane Katrina. The family settled in Richmond Texas, and, despite a lengthy commute, CeeDee enrolled at John and Randolph Foster High School and joined the football team.

As we now know, Lamb developed into a legitimate star. After graduation, he took his talents to the University of Oklahoma; with the Sooners, his stock only continued to rise.

While he had the benefit of playing with some talented quarterbacks—Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts—Lamb still impressed during his time in college. Across three seasons of NCAA action, he pulled in 173 catches for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns; he also made the Big 12 and All-American first-teams during his junior campaign.

What is CeeDee Lamb’s real name?

Ever since the 2020 NFL draft, Dallas Cowboys fans have been excitedly awaiting CeeDee Lamb’s professional debut. All the while, though, they’ve been calling the wide receiver by a nickname rather than his given name.

While he’s gone by CeeDee since childhood, Lamb’s real first name is Cedarian. He picked up his now-famous nickname during peewee football, thanks to a member of the coaching staff.

“I got it from a peewee coach I played with,” Lamb explained at the NFL combine, according to the Dallas Morning News. “He was like, ‘what’s your name?’ And I was like, ‘Cedarian,’ and he’s like, ‘we’re gonna have to come up with a nickname by the end of the practice.’ Practice goes on, we’re running gassers now at the end of practice, he’s like, ‘CeeDee.’ I was like, ‘who’s that?’ And then he’s like, ‘that’s your new nickname.”

Whatever you call him, the Dallas Cowboys rookie is someone to watch

No matter what name CeeDee Lamb is going by, though, one thing is clear: the Dallas Cowboys rookie is someone to keep an eye on this season.

Once the receiver fell into Jerry Jones’ lap as the 17th-overall pick, he looked like a steal. No matter which scouting report you prefer, Lamb gets rave reviews. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, for example, said that the receiver “has the potential to play any of the three receiver positions as a pro and could be a “year one quality starter.”

In his Athletic analysis, Dane Brugler took a similar stance. While he noted that the receiver could still refine his game, he went on to explain that “Lamb is a balanced athlete with the body fluidity of a much small player and the ball skills and competitive nature of a much bigger player, projecting as a high-ceiling NFL starter due to his playmaking instincts.”

With Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys already had a stacked offense. Adding CeeDee Lamb, however, should make things even more exciting in Jerry World.

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference

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