Joseph Anthony "Red" Bryant (born April 18, 1984) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, and was drafted by the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in the fourth round of the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
. Bryant also played for the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
,
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
and
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
.
Early years
Born and raised in
Jasper, Texas
Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,884 at the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 7,590 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about west of the Te ...
, Bryant graduated from
Jasper High School in 2003. where he was a three-sport star in football,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, and track. In
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, he was named the District
Defensive
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indust ...
Player of the Year as well as the
Southeast Texas
Southeast Texas is a cultural and geographic region in the U.S. state of Texas, bordering Southwest Louisiana and its greater Acadiana region to the east. Being a part of East Texas, the region is geographically centered on the Greater Houston ...
Defensive Player of the Year by ''
The Beaumont Enterprise
''The Beaumont Enterprise'' is a newspaper of Hearst Communications, headquartered in Beaumont, Texas. It has been in operation since 1880.
In addition to BeaumontEnterprise.com and the daily newspaper, ''The Enterprise'' produces several weeklie ...
'' as a sophomore. As a junior, he made 94
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking up ...
and forced 10
sacks. In his senior year, he earned District and
Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle may refer to:
Places
Asia
* Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production
* Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development
* Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist ...
Defensive MVP honors. He was also selected to the first-team
Division 3A
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
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.
Also an standout
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
athlete, Bryant was one of the state's top performers in the throwing events. He captured the state title in the
shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
event at the 2003 UIL T&F Championships, recording a career-best throw of 62 ft 10 in (19.20 m). He also competed in the
discus throw
The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disk (mathematics), disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an classical antiqui ...
(top-throw of 158 ft 4 in). In addition, he also ran the
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
under 5 seconds, bench-pressed 350 pounds and squatted 520.
When it came to
college recruiting
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
, ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
'' 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
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
,
Notre Dame,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. He chose to sign with Texas A&M to play for
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione (born March 28, 1951), also known as Coach Fran, is a retired American football coach. He is the former head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school w ...
.
College career
In his first season at Texas A&M in 2003, though Bryant was
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
, he was named a
team captain
In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...
. In his freshman season, he became a
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
and
started in all games. He earned
All-American and All-
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...
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
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
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
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
, 1 field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
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 eight of his Aggie teammates, Bryant received an all-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
After completing his senior season play, Bryant participated in the ]2008 Senior Bowl
The 2008 Senior Bowl was a college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2007 college football season and prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. The 59th edition of the Senior Bowl was played on January 26, 2008, at 3 p.m. EST at Ladd– ...
, 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
John David Booty (born January 3, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Booty also played for the Tennessee Titans a ...
. The South team won the game 17–16.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
. Tim Ruskell
Tim Ruskell (born October 1956) is an American football executive. He last served as the General Manager of the Orlando Apollos, one of the eight charter teams was the Alliance of American Football. Ruskell has previously worked for the NFL, inclu ...
, 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 (Mike) 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. In the 2009 season, he compiled 8 more tackles and was inactive for 10 games. During the 2010 offseason, he was moved to defensive end by head coach ]Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC Troja ...
.
In 2010, Bryant was injured during a week 8 contest against the Oakland Raiders in the 1st half of the game. After the game, Bryant was placed on Injured Reserve for the remainder of the season.
In the 2011 season, he blocked four kicks, breaking the franchise single-season record. In week 15 against the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, Bryant had an interception returned for a touchdown after an attempt by Caleb Hanie
Caleb Jeffrey Hanie (born September 11, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Colorado State and was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He also played for the Denver Bronco ...
of the Bears to get the ball away after being pressured. Just before the Seahawks last home game of the season against the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
on Saturday, December 24 began, Bryant was presented with the club's Steve Largent Award
The Steve Largent Award is given by the Seattle Seahawks annually to the team contributor(s) best exemplifying the spirit, dedication, and integrity of former Seahawk wide receiver Steve Largent.Farnesworth, Clare. (December 19, 2008)Holmgren Wins ...
. The Steve Largent Award is given by the Seahawks annually to the team contributor(s) best exemplifying the spirit, dedication, and integrity of former Seahawk wide receiver Steve Largent
Stephen Michael Largent (born September 28, 1954) is an American former football wide receiver and politician who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. A member of the Republican Party, he serv ...
.
On March 13, 2012, the Seahawks re-signed Bryant to a five-year, $35 million deal with $14.5 million in guaranteed money. In 2012, he started all 16 games making 24 tackles and 3 passes defended. On December 23, in the Seahawks' 42–13 win over the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, Bryant blocked a 21-yard field goal attempt by the 49ers' David Akers
David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Reds ...
, and the Seahawks' Richard Sherman returned the blocked kick 90 yards for a touchdown.
Prior to the 2013 season, Bryant adjusted his diet and sleeping habit to become a better player. Bryant was the defensive team captain during the 2012–13 seasons. In 2013, Bryant recorded 1.5 sacks on 34 combines tackles and a pass defended. His efforts helped the Seahawks into Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...
where their #1 NFL-ranked defense defeated the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
43–8 for their first franchise championship.
Rumors had been circulating for over a week that the Seahawks would release Bryant, and on February 28, 2014, the Seahawks officially announced his release along with wide receiver Sidney Rice
Sidney R. Rice (born September 1, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rice played college football at South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the s ...
. Both moves have cleared more than $12 million in cap space for the upcoming season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On March 8, 2014, Bryant signed a four-year, $17 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, uniting him with his former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley
Paul Casey "Gus" Bradley (born July 5, 1966) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seah ...
. Starting all 16 games in 2014, he made 23 tackles with 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. On March 12, 2015, he was released by the Jaguars.
Buffalo Bills
Bryant signed with the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in August 2015 and was released on September 5, 2015.
Arizona Cardinals
On November 26, 2015, Bryant signed with the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. In six games of 2015, he made five tackles. On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Cardinals as part of the final roster cuts.
Personal life
In December 2007, Bryant graduated from Texas A&M, receiving a degree
Degree may refer to:
As a unit of measurement
* Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement
** Degree of geographical latitude
** Degree of geographical longitude
* Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics
...
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
Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...
.
On February 29, 2009, Bryant married Janelle Green, who is the daughter of former Texas A&M and Seattle Seahawks player Jacob Green
Jacob Carl Green (born January 21, 1957) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Texas A&M.
Green was an All-American selection in 1979 after compiling 134 tackles and was a then school-record 20 quarterba ...
. Janelle played for the Texas A&M soccer team from 2002 to 2005.
According to Bryant, he got the nickname "Red" because "his mom said that (he) was a red baby."
References
External links
*
Seattle Seahawks bio
Texas A&M Aggies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Red
1984 births
Living people
People from Jasper, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
American football defensive tackles
American football defensive ends
Texas A&M University alumni
Texas A&M Aggies football players
Seattle Seahawks players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
Buffalo Bills players
Arizona Cardinals players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients