Armonty Charles Bryant (born May 20, 1990) is a former
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
. He was selected by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
in the seventh round of the
2013 NFL draft
The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Division II East Central Tigers of
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was in ...
.
Professional career
Cleveland Browns
On April 27, 2013, Bryant was selected by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
in the seventh round, 217th overall pick of the
2013 NFL draft
The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
.
He was suspended for the first four games of the
2016 season for violating the performance-enhancing drug policy. He was released by the Browns on October 3, 2016.
Detroit Lions
On October 4, 2016, Bryant was claimed off waivers by the Lions. Bryant had to serve another three-game suspension for violating the league's policy on substances of abuse. He was activated on December 3, prior to Week 13. He was placed on injured reserve on December 6 with a knee injury.
On March 21, 2017, Bryant re-signed with the Lions. He was suspended once again for the first four games of the
2017 NFL season
The 2017 NFL season was the 98th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 52nd of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion ...
for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. On October 9, 2017, after being re-instated from suspension, Bryant was released by the Lions.
Oakland Raiders
On April 6, 2018, Bryant signed with the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. On May 4, 2018, he was waived by the Raiders with a non-football illness designation.
Retirement
On July 16, 2018, Bryant announced his retirement from the NFL.
Personal life
In October 2012, Bryant pleaded
no contest
''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...
following an arrest for selling marijuana twice in a parking lot at
East Central University
East Central University (ECU or East Central) is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Duran ...
, receiving probation from October 18, 2012, to October 18, 2017. In May 2013, he was given a one-year deferred sentence after he pleaded no contest to a charge of
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...
of alcohol. Bryant was indicted on two felony drug possession charges in February 2016 after being arrested following a traffic stop on December 25, 2015, for speeding. During a search of the vehicle,
Ohio Highway Patrol officers discovered two pills of
Oxycodone
Oxycodone, sold under the brand name Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended-release form) among others, is a semi-synthetic opioid used medically for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and is a commonly ...
and one
Adderall
Adderall and Mydayis are trade names for a combination drug containing four salts of amphetamine. The mixture is composed of equal parts racemic amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which produces a (3:1) ratio between dextroamphetamine and l ...
.
As of February 2019, Bryant is being treated for
focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a histopathologic finding of scarring (sclerosis) of glomeruli and damage to renal podocytes. This process damages the filtration function of the kidney, resulting in protein presence in the urine du ...
(FSGS), which has led to
kidney failure
Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...
and requires
dialysis.
References
External links
Cleveland Browns bioEast Central Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Armonty
1990 births
Living people
Players of American football from Wichita Falls, Texas
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
East Central Tigers football players
Cleveland Browns players
Detroit Lions players
Oakland Raiders players