Fernando Antoneyo Bryant (born March 26, 1977) 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 wit ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

(NFL). He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 26th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

. Bryant was also a member of the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII as a member of the Steelers.

Early years

Bryant attended Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and starred in football as a wide receiver/

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

and in track as a sprinter. In football, as a senior, he garnered

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n honors, and finished the year with six interceptions and 82 tackles on defense, and 48 receptions on offense.

College career

At the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

, Bryant was an All- SEC second-team selection in 1996 and 1997, as well as an All-SEC first-team selection in 1998 and nicknamed TWO-FIVE.

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

Bryant was drafted in the first round (26th overall) in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent five years with the Jaguars.

Detroit Lions

Bryant was signed as a free agent by the

in 2004. On February 25, 2008, the Lions released Bryant

New England Patriots

On March 20, 2008, he signed a one-year deal with the

, he was cut by the team on August 30, 2008.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On November 11, 2008, Bryant was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers where he was reunited with

college 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 ...

teammate

Deshea Townsend Trevor Deshea Townsend (born September 8, 1975) is an American football coach and former cornerback who is the passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously serv ...

. On June 23, 2009, his agent Drew Rosenhaus announced that Bryant had decided to retire.Hey there! RosenhausSports is using Twitter
Twitter, June 23, 2009

NFL statistics

References

External links

Detroit Lions bioNew England Patriots bioPittsburgh Steelers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Fernando 1977 births Living people Players of American football from Albany, Georgia American football cornerbacks Alabama Crimson Tide football players Jacksonville Jaguars players Detroit Lions players New England Patriots players Pittsburgh Steelers players