“It’s an unbelievable feeling to see
this happen to a guy and a family that
we remain close to to this day,” Wall told
The Union-Recorder. “To walk with him
in this journey he’s going through is surreal.
I can’t wait to see what the future
holds for him. He’s a hard-working dude
and he’s not going to change who he is.
That’s why he’s where he’s at today.”
Bryant said Wall, a seventh-round
NFL draft selection at fullback in 2003,
played a key role in helping him reach
this important milestone.
“He’s probably been the biggest influence
on my football career,” Bryant said
of Wall. “He cares about you not only as
a football player but as a person. He’s
helped me develop as both and really is
one of the main reasons I’m where I’m at
today.”
During his high school tenure, Bryant
terrorized Trojan opponents on both
sides of the football, initially from his
offensive tackle and defensive end
positions. He remained at defensive end
his senior year of high school and was
named The Union-Recorder’s All-County
Defensive Player of the Year after setting
a single-season school record with 11
sacks.
Offensively he moved to tight end,
a switch that will literally pay off in
millions.
While at FAU, Bryant refined his tight
end skills in head coach Lane Kiffin’s
offense. His production increased every
year all the way through his senior season
where he put up his best numbers
yet, 65 receptions for 1,004 yards along
with seven touchdowns. Bryant’s play
earned him the prestigious John Mackey
Award given annually to college football’s
top tight end.
Many analysts had Bryant rated as
their second or third best tight end
available in the 2020 draft, meaning
his selection on day two of the threeday
event was likely. The second and
third rounds came and went Friday, and
Bryant’s name never got called by NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell. He wound
up being the sixth tight end taken this
year.
None of those five tight ends taken
before him was the 2019 Mackey Award
winner, though.
“I had him highly-rated on the board
ahead of some of the tight ends that have
already been selected. … He has run after
the catch ability and can drag tacklers
for extra yards after the catch,” ESPN’s
Mel Kiper Jr. said of Bryant after he was
chosen. “I think there’s a lot to like about
Harrison Bryant coming out of Florida
Atlantic.”
“We know he’s going to have a long
NFL career and he’s going to make everybody
around here very, very proud,” Wall
said. “I just can’t say enough about what
he’s accomplished. Doing what he did at
FAU, he’s been down this road before.
He’s been undervalued before, and it puts
a chip on your shoulder. Great athletes
oftentimes need ammunition to remain
great athletes, and he’s got all the ammunition
he needs right now.”
Upon signing his rookie contract,
Bryant will become the fifth tight end
on the Cleveland Browns’ roster barring
any moves made by the franchise. The
most notable tight ends Cleveland has
are 2017 first-round pick David Njoku
and recent free agent acquisition Austin
Hooper, a former Atlanta Falcon. Njoku
was taken with the 29th pick in 2017,
which was the second of two first-round
picks the team had that year. Hooper had
his best season as a professional in 2019,
catching 75 balls for nearly 800 yards
and six scores in Atlanta. Njoku missed
a lot of time last season with a broken
wrist.
The Browns are head coached by Kevin
Stefanski, 37, and this season will be
his first at the helm of an NFL program.
Stefanski was previously the offensive
coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings
before the Browns officially hired him
Jan. 13.
Blessings for a great year
Have a Great Season!
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