K’Von Wallace Embraces the 'Kobe' Grind

Kobe Bryant's impact on a generation of athletes lives on

For fans, loyalty is usually driven by laundry, the color of a jersey.

Professional athletes are a little bit different and their predilections toward other athletes turn to the sentiment of "game recognizes game."

Even peers can reach an exalted status. In my years covering the NFL for instance there have been a number of players who have reached that kind of tier with their rivals, most notably Michael Vick, Randy Moss, and Aaron Donald for current players. It's usually got more to do with physical gifts than any other measuring stick.

A few superstars can marry the insane genetic gifts with a work ethic and a championship pedigree. Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is in that group and when the Eagles finally arrived at the NovaCare Complex they were greeted by a new mural right next to the weight room paying tribute to the one-time Philadelphia-area prodigy who never left his love of the Eagles behind despite the bright lights of Tinseltown.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, six family friends, and his pilot died tragically in a helicopter accident back in January of this year, perhaps the first knockout blow the year 2020 had in store for all of us.

His legacy lives on for many, however, and that includes the Eagles' organization.

"Kobe’s 10 rules” are now listed for all the players to see at the facility.

When drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round back in April K'Von Wallace explained that Bryant was his idol but with his head swimming by a months-long COVID-19 detour the former Clemson safety didn't even notice the large rendering of Bryant, which pictures him wearing a Lakers jersey and his custom No. 8 Eagles jersey.

"That was awesome," Wallace said. "I had recently seen it two days ago coming into the facility because when I first got here I didn't even notice it and then one of the players pointed out to me. It was just very, very inspiring. It's right by the weight room so it's like giving me a little extra motivation to be great."

"The Mamba Mentality" is almost the 10 commandments of competitiveness to an entire generation that watched Bryant win five championships with the Lakers as that game's greatest closer since Michael Jordan.

Wallace gravitated to the legendary Bryant focus through the television screen.

“I was always attracted to his competitiveness, his hunger, and his grind,” the Richmond native said. “Everything that he did in basketball, I try to emulate in a football standpoint as far as working hard, being great, but also bringing others along to be great with you."

A versatile player on the back end with the Tigers Wallace tried to lift up his teammates as well due to Bryant's long-distance influence.

"He’s been on a lot of championship teams with a lot of great players, but he knew there’s a lot of guys who are role players that are important as well," Wallace explained. "When I was at Clemson, I did the same thing, as far as my leadership.

".... make sure the scout team was giving us the best look or the quarterback is throwing the most perfect ball to the receiver and I just giving it to the DBs just because. Just the little things like that to make us better and make the overall team better. I took that from his game."

In case you are wondering No. 5 on Kobe's rules is "learn from greatness."

Wallace is on his way.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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