Joseph "Red" Anthony Bryant (born
April 18,
1984 in ) is an
American football defensive tackle for the
Seattle Seahawks of the
National Football League. He was
drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the
2008 NFL Draft. He played
college football at
Texas A&M.
Early years
Bryant attended
Jasper High School in
Jasper, Texas, where he played both
basketball and
football. As a sophomore, he was named
the District
Defensive Player of the
Year as well as the
Southeast Texas
Defensive Player of the Year by
The Beaumont Enterprise. As a
junior, he made 94
tackles
and forced 10
sacks. In his senior
year, he earned District and
Golden Triangle Defensive MVP
honors. He was also selected to the first-team
Division 3A
All-state team by the Texas Sports Writers Association, and was a
finalist for the Willie Ray Smith Award, which is presented to the
top offensive and defensive players in Southeast Texas. When it
came to
college
recruiting,
Rivals.com gave him a
3-star rating and ranked him No. 83 out of all the Texas players in
his 2003 recruiting class.
He was recruited for college play by Texas
A&M
, Arkansas
, Colorado
, Nebraska,
Notre
Dame
, Oklahoma
, and Texas
. He chose to sign with Texas A&M to play
for
head coach Dennis Franchione.
College career
In his first 2003 season at Texas A&M, though Bryant was
redshirted, he was named a
team captain. In his freshman
season, he became a
defensive
tackle and
started in
all games. He earned
All-American and
All-
Big 12 honors from
The
Gridiron Report after making 34 tackles (3.5 of which led to a
loss of nine yards), two deflected passes, and a blocked kick. In
33 defensive plays against the
option, he was able to hold the opposing team
down to 1.85 yards per carry.
In his sophomore season, he started in 10 games, but saw action in
all 11. He produced 28 tackles, 7.5 of which led to a loss of
yardage, forced two fumbles and three sacks. In 31 plays against
the option, he held opposing teams to a minus-27 yards, or
minus-0.87-yard average. The Texas A&M defense, however,
finished the 2004 season ranked 107th out of 119
Division I teams, after allowing 443.82 offensive
yards per game.
In his junior season, he was voted a permanent team captain. He
started in 8 games and played in nine before agreeing to end his
season by having surgery on his
anterior cruciate ligament that
he tore. He produced a total of 19 tackles, 1 sack, 1 blocked kick,
and 5 pass blocks. When he was benched in the final five games of
the season, the Aggie defense gave up 229.2 rushing yards. However,
at the end of the season, the defense improved to a national
ranking of 46, after allowing 322.62 offensive yards per
game.
In his senior season, Bryant recorded 41 tackles, 1 sack that led
to a
safety, 1
field goal block that led to a
touchdown drive, and six stops for losses of 19 yards. In the
team's first ten games, he allowed only 43 rushing yards on 42
plays directed at him. The Aggie defense had allowed 160.9 yards
per game overall. Along with 8 other Aggie players, Bryant received
an all-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
After completing his senior season play, Bryant participated in the
2008 Senior Bowl, playing for the
South team. At one of the practices prior to the game, he got into
a fight with teammate
Chris Williams, causing
the coaches to break it up. In the game, he recovered one fumble
made by quarterback
John David
Booty. The South team won the game 17–16.
Professional career
Pre-draft
At the 2008
NFL Scouting
Combine, Bryant weighed 318 pounds. He lifted 225 pounds 20
times, and ran 4.98 seconds in the
40 yard
dash. His dash time was the second best of all the defensive
tackles who participated.
Seattle Seahawks
He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the
2008 NFL Draft.
Tim Ruskell, the president of the Seahawks,
commented: "We're real happy to get Red Bryant. He fills a need for
us. This is a big man that can stuff the middle. Coach
Holmgren has always looked for that guy, and I
think we found him with Red." On July 18, he agreed to a contract
with the team.
In late July 2008, Bryant injured cartilage in his left knee during
one the Seahawks' training camp practices. He underwent surgery and
was able to play in Week 1.
He sprained his ankle in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles
on November 2, 2008.
In his rookie season, he recorded 8 total tackles, and was inactive
for 12 games.
Personal
In December 2007, Bryant graduated from Texas A&M, receiving a
degree in agricultural leadership
and development. He believes that this was his greatest and most
fulfilling achievement. He is also the first college graduate in
his immediate family. He also overcame
dyslexia.
On
February 29,
2009, Bryant is set to marry his
fiancé Jannelle Green, who is the daughter of
former Texas A&M and Seattle Seahawks player
Jacob Green. Janelle played for the Texas
A&M soccer team from 2002–05.
According to Bryant, he got the nickname "Red" because "his mom
said that (he) was a red baby."
References
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