Jacory Croskey-Merritt is called “Bill” because, as a kid, his very low haircut made people say he looked like the cartoon character Little Bill from the late-1990s children’s TV show, and the nickname just stuck with him into college and the NFL.

Quick Scoop: Why “Bill”?

  • As a child, Croskey-Merritt wore his hair very short, almost bald.
  • Friends and people around him joked that he looked like Little Bill, the main character from the animated series created by Bill Cosby.
  • From that teasing, the nickname “Bill” was born and has followed him ever since.

From Childhood Joke to NFL Name

  • He has explained in interviews (including during his time at Arizona) that “Bill” comes specifically from “having a bald head” and people saying he looked like Little Bill.
  • By the time he reached the Washington Commanders, he was already widely known in football circles as Bill, not just Jacory.

Why Broadcasters Use “Bill”

  • Ahead of his rookie NFL season, he let media members know he prefers to be called Bill on TV broadcasts, and reporters like ESPN’s Adam Schefter have highlighted this preference.
  • Some outlets and graphics now list him as “Bill Croskey-Merritt,” even though his legal name remains Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

Little Bill & Cultural Throwback

  • Little Bill aired from 1999 to 2004 on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., featuring a young, bald-headed main character loosely based on Bill Cosby’s childhood.
  • Because that show was popular when Croskey-Merritt was growing up, the comparison was instantly recognizable to people around him, which helped the nickname catch on and never go away.

TL;DR: He’s called Bill because as a kid his shaved/low haircut made people say he looked like Little Bill, and that teasing nickname became the name he prefers in the NFL.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.