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Former NFL wide receiver Matthew Cherry won an Oscar for his role in the animated short Hair Love on Sunday.
Cherry wrote and directed the film, helping produce it alongside Karen Rupert Toliver.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted Cherry played collegiately at Akron but was undrafted in 2004. He spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.
He notably dedicated the Oscar to the late Kobe Bryant at the end of his speech. The Los Angeles Lakers great also won an Oscar in the best animated short category for his role in Dear Basketball.