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Quiet Bryant makes noise on field for ECU
By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — Whether it’s by defensive backs or the media, Jamar Bryant is just fine with being overlooked. However, if the East Carolina wideout has another season like last year, he will be awfully hard to ignore.
While admittedly lacking speed, the 6-2, 208-pound receiver didn’t exactly fly under the radar, as much as he ran stealthy 4.4 through it.
Bryant is an enigma. He plays a position that is infamous for producing some of the games best trash-talkers, however, the junior is more than happy to let his play on Saturday’s work as his mouthpiece.
“He is a very serious guy and probably a little uncomfortable in the limelight,” East Carolina wide receiver coach Donnie Kirkpatrick said. “He really is just an unselfish guy that just loves football; he is a great teammate.”
Running back Chris Johnson stole the show last year, as the do-everything back had a record-breaking season for the Pirates racking up a school-best 2,960 all-purpose yards en route to becoming the 24th pick overall in the NFL draft.
As the explosive Johnson accumulated TDs, highlights and fans, the slow-and-steady Bryant collected catches and threw blocks, the latter of which he is more proud of.
Wide receivers have always been the divas of football, just look at T.O. and Chad Johnson. While Bryant shares some traits with Owens, he is more than happy leaving the popcorn exactly where it is.
What often gets overlooked about the loud-mouth Owens is his physicality and his blocking ability, which are facets of the game Bryant prides himself on.
As a sophomore, Bryant led the Pirates in receptions with 48, receiving yards with 704 and his six touchdowns were tied for the team-high.
His 48 catches were the sixth-highest total in team history, while his 704 receiving yards were the 10th best, leading him to be named C-USA honorable mention.
While all that sounds impressive, Bryant could care less. He is a true team-first guy, and though he may block like T.O., he certainly doesn’t talk like him.
“That was all Chris Johnson,” Bryant said, deferring the accolades to his former teammate. “He ran the ball so good that I was wide open, all I had to do is catch it.”
Bryant shows up for work everyday with a hard hat, and he doesn’t mind laying it into DBs.
“I’m real physical, I love to block,” Bryant said. “If you can’t run the ball, you can’t pass it, so I’m ready to block; what ever it takes to help the team.”
It’s comments like that, that make Kirkpatrick gush when bringing up Bryant’s name.
“Jamar Bryant is one of the toughest football players I have ever been around period,” Kirkpatrick said. “When you get that kind of toughness from a receiver than you are going to have a special guy because he is fearless. He doesn’t mind going across the middle and catching the ball. He is the best blocker at receiver that I have ever been around in my 20-something years of coaching football.”
While Bryant’s play may have been overshadowed last season, Kirkpatrick said he has seen success coming Bryant’s way since the wideout was a freshman.
In his first year with the Pirates, Bryant caught 11 passes in 10 games for 108 yards. Hardly eye-popping numbers. However, his ability was good enough to catch the eye of Kirkpatrick and the rest of the Pirates’ coaching staff.
“We did (see his success coming), he was playing behind Aundrae Allison, who is now a Minnesota Viking, but we were kind of grooming him for that (No. 1 WR) position,” Kirkpatrick said. “He would have had more than 10 catches, except he broke his thumb. To show you how tough he is, he actually came back and played with a cast on that hand. But obviously you are not going to throw a lot of balls to a receiver who has a cast on his hand ... But we thought he would be the guy to take over after Aundrae left, and he has done a nice job of that.”
While Bryant had a solid 2007 season, Kirkpatrick said the next step for the junior is to establish consistency.
“Last year he had a lot of really good plays for us, but what we have to get out of him this year is more consistency,” Kirkpatrick said. “That’s what a great player is. A great player is consistency good. Last year he was good, but not good all the time, so we are looking for him to be consistently good this year.”
Bryant has worked hard in the off season, trying to establish the consistency that his coaches crave for, and at the same time working to improve his speed.
Bryant may never be a burner, but maybe he doesn’t have to be. Jerry Rice, Steve Largent and Art Monk never ran fast 40’s, but yet each has a bust in Canton, Ohio.
Besides, the speedsters get all of the attention, and the communications major is just fine without it.
Bryant said if he never makes it to the League, he would love to direct films, which is a perfect fit for a guy who loves making things happen behind the scenes.
While admittedly lacking speed, the 6-2, 208-pound receiver didn’t exactly fly under the radar, as much as he ran stealthy 4.4 through it.
Bryant is an enigma. He plays a position that is infamous for producing some of the games best trash-talkers, however, the junior is more than happy to let his play on Saturday’s work as his mouthpiece.
“He is a very serious guy and probably a little uncomfortable in the limelight,” East Carolina wide receiver coach Donnie Kirkpatrick said. “He really is just an unselfish guy that just loves football; he is a great teammate.”
Running back Chris Johnson stole the show last year, as the do-everything back had a record-breaking season for the Pirates racking up a school-best 2,960 all-purpose yards en route to becoming the 24th pick overall in the NFL draft.
As the explosive Johnson accumulated TDs, highlights and fans, the slow-and-steady Bryant collected catches and threw blocks, the latter of which he is more proud of.
Wide receivers have always been the divas of football, just look at T.O. and Chad Johnson. While Bryant shares some traits with Owens, he is more than happy leaving the popcorn exactly where it is.
What often gets overlooked about the loud-mouth Owens is his physicality and his blocking ability, which are facets of the game Bryant prides himself on.
As a sophomore, Bryant led the Pirates in receptions with 48, receiving yards with 704 and his six touchdowns were tied for the team-high.
His 48 catches were the sixth-highest total in team history, while his 704 receiving yards were the 10th best, leading him to be named C-USA honorable mention.
While all that sounds impressive, Bryant could care less. He is a true team-first guy, and though he may block like T.O., he certainly doesn’t talk like him.
“That was all Chris Johnson,” Bryant said, deferring the accolades to his former teammate. “He ran the ball so good that I was wide open, all I had to do is catch it.”
Bryant shows up for work everyday with a hard hat, and he doesn’t mind laying it into DBs.
“I’m real physical, I love to block,” Bryant said. “If you can’t run the ball, you can’t pass it, so I’m ready to block; what ever it takes to help the team.”
It’s comments like that, that make Kirkpatrick gush when bringing up Bryant’s name.
“Jamar Bryant is one of the toughest football players I have ever been around period,” Kirkpatrick said. “When you get that kind of toughness from a receiver than you are going to have a special guy because he is fearless. He doesn’t mind going across the middle and catching the ball. He is the best blocker at receiver that I have ever been around in my 20-something years of coaching football.”
While Bryant’s play may have been overshadowed last season, Kirkpatrick said he has seen success coming Bryant’s way since the wideout was a freshman.
In his first year with the Pirates, Bryant caught 11 passes in 10 games for 108 yards. Hardly eye-popping numbers. However, his ability was good enough to catch the eye of Kirkpatrick and the rest of the Pirates’ coaching staff.
“We did (see his success coming), he was playing behind Aundrae Allison, who is now a Minnesota Viking, but we were kind of grooming him for that (No. 1 WR) position,” Kirkpatrick said. “He would have had more than 10 catches, except he broke his thumb. To show you how tough he is, he actually came back and played with a cast on that hand. But obviously you are not going to throw a lot of balls to a receiver who has a cast on his hand ... But we thought he would be the guy to take over after Aundrae left, and he has done a nice job of that.”
While Bryant had a solid 2007 season, Kirkpatrick said the next step for the junior is to establish consistency.
“Last year he had a lot of really good plays for us, but what we have to get out of him this year is more consistency,” Kirkpatrick said. “That’s what a great player is. A great player is consistency good. Last year he was good, but not good all the time, so we are looking for him to be consistently good this year.”
Bryant has worked hard in the off season, trying to establish the consistency that his coaches crave for, and at the same time working to improve his speed.
Bryant may never be a burner, but maybe he doesn’t have to be. Jerry Rice, Steve Largent and Art Monk never ran fast 40’s, but yet each has a bust in Canton, Ohio.
Besides, the speedsters get all of the attention, and the communications major is just fine without it.
Bryant said if he never makes it to the League, he would love to direct films, which is a perfect fit for a guy who loves making things happen behind the scenes.
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