Dell has been in stunning form in the past three games

HOUSTON Texans breakout star Nathaniel Dell has had his football name officially changed to Tank – the nickname he’s been using since childhood.

The third-round NFL pick, 24, was born as Nathaniel Jasper Dell Jr. in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1999.

Houston Texans breakout star Tank Dell, whose first name is Nathaniel, has had his football name officially changed to Tank by the NFL
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Houston Texans breakout star Tank Dell, whose first name is Nathaniel, has had his football name officially changed to Tank by the NFLCredit: Getty

Contrasting his nickname, Dell had one of the smallest frames in the 2023 NFL Draft class
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Contrasting his nickname, Dell had one of the smallest frames in the 2023 NFL Draft classCredit: Getty

The Texans rookie scored six touchdowns in his first nine NFL games
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The Texans rookie scored six touchdowns in his first nine NFL gamesCredit: Getty
But whenever he scores another touchdown for Houston, the NFL will now credit it to Tank Dell, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero reported Monday he spotted the confirmation of the Texans rookie’s name change in an unusual note on the NFL transaction wire.

“Please note that the football name of Houston’s Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston (Player ID #55934) has been changed to Tank Dell,” it read.

The report left some in the NFL world confused with fans unaware that “Tank” was a nickname to begin with.

The moniker originates from Dell’s childhood and is short for “Tankhead,” the Houston Chronicle explained in August.

That’s what the budding NFL star’s mom, Porsche, lovingly called his son because of his unusually large head, which was much bigger than his body when he was born.

The proportions of Dell’s body stuck as he was growing up.

“Porsche had to assure her son that his head would eventually fit his frame,” the Chronicle wrote.

Standing at 5-foot-8 and weighing just 165 pounds, Dell belonged among the smallest players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

He’s listed as 5-foot-10 on his official NFL profile, though.

And the underwhelming frame didn’t stop the former Houston Cougars standout from emerging as one of the most exciting prospects in his draft class.

Dell logged 659 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 42 catches in his first nine NFL games.

Most of them have come during Houston’s current three-game winning streak, which fired the Texans to 6-4 on the season.

The talented wideout registered at least six receptions and averaged 16 yards per catch in his last three outings, reaching the endzone four times.