Desmond Bryant facts for kids
.JPG)
Bryant with the Raiders in October 2010
|
|||||||||||
| No. 90, 92 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | December 15, 1985 Shorewood, Illinois, U.S. |
||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 310 lb (141 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Elizabethtown (NC) East Bladen | ||||||||||
| College: | Harvard | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2009 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Desmond J. Bryant (born December 15, 1985) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive tackle. This position means he tried to stop the other team's offense. Bryant played college football at Harvard University. He then joined the Oakland Raiders in 2009. He was signed as an undrafted free agent, meaning he wasn't chosen in the main draft but was signed afterward.
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Desmond Bryant was born in Shorewood, Illinois. His parents are Alton and Lillian Bryant. He went to East Bladen High School in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. In his final year of high school football, his team had a great record. They won 13 games and lost only 1. This was his only year playing high school football in North Carolina. His high school jersey number is now retired at East Bladen.
Before that, Bryant played football and basketball for three years. He attended high school in Middletown, Delaware. He also played for the East Bladen basketball team for two seasons. Bryant was a very good student. He had a high grade point average and a strong SAT score.
Bryant chose to go to Harvard University. He had offers from other universities like Duke. Ivy League schools, like Harvard, do not give sports scholarships. Instead, Bryant received a financial aid scholarship. His Harvard coach, Tim Murphy, believed Bryant could become a professional player. At Harvard, Bryant studied psychology. He played in 32 games over four seasons. In his last year, he was named second-team All-Ivy League. He led Harvard with 8 quarterback hurries and 4.5 tackles that led to losses for the other team.
Professional Football Career
Desmond Bryant is one of many Harvard football players to play in the NFL.
Oakland Raiders
In April 2009, Bryant signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders. He played in all 16 games during his first season. He made 24 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles. The next season, Bryant recorded 2.5 sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the opposing team's quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.
Cleveland Browns
On March 12, 2013, Bryant signed with the Cleveland Browns. He joined them as an unrestricted free agent. This means his contract with his old team had ended. He signed a five-year contract.
Bryant started 12 games for the Browns in 2013. He had 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Later that year, on December 4, 2013, Bryant was placed on a special list. This ended his season early. He had some health issues with an irregular heartbeat.
Bryant returned to play in the 2014 season. He played in seven of the first nine games. On November 6, 2014, Bryant had a great game. He sacked quarterback Andy Dalton twice. The Browns won that game against the Cincinnati Bengals 24-3.
During the 2016 offseason, Bryant suffered an injury. He tore a pectoral muscle while lifting weights. This injury meant he could not play for the entire 2016 season. On August 22, 2017, the Browns released Bryant from their team.
