Bryant’s versatile, veteran presence
RECEIVER LOOKING TO REBOUND AFTER DROP OFF IN PRODUCTION IN 2011
There was a special-teams practice going on at Calgary Stampeder training campe arlier this week, and non-participants Nik Lewis and ken-yon rambo were on the sideline, trading stories and laughs with guest coach Ike Charlton.
There were howls of delight when a rookie accidentally bowled over a coach during one of the drills. Praise when another rookie showed some good footwork on a tackle.
And then Romby Bryant started running downfield for a drill. That’s when the chuckles stopped and the nods of admiration began.
Bryant, you should remember, is 32 years old with an NFL pedigree. He led the CFL in receiving touchdowns in 2010 with 15. He could just as easily stake a claim on the sideline during these drills, but instead, he runs with the rookies, and, for good measure, he takes reps on the scout-team offence to push the first-team defence.
And, by the way, rarely looks tired in doing so.
“When you have a guy like that who can go catch an 80-yard bomb, then come back and line upon kick off (coverage), go down and make the tackle inside the 20 and still jog off the field like nothing happened?” said Charlton, who, as a Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker, was Bryant’s teammate in 2008 and part of the 2009 season when Bryant was traded to Calgary. “That’s special, especially in this league where everything’s fast-paced, everything’s moving. I saw him in practice every day in Winnipeg, and when he left us, there was kind of a void for us. But he came to a good place, man. He picked up right where he left off.”
That Bryant heads into the 2012 sea- son feeling like he has something to prove is nothing new. He treats every season that way, but the casual observer might wonder if there’s a little extra on the line this year.
After that splendid 2010 campaign in which he made 77 catches for those 15 touchdowns and 1,167 yards, his numbers dipped in 2011 to 51 catches for 632 yards and five touchdowns.
Part of the problem was an earlyseason struggle with a back problem that eventually spread into his legs — you never heard about it because Bryant refused to make excuses.
“I don’t like looking backwards, but, yeah, I was frustrated a little bit that things didn’t come as easy,” he said. “But it was the same as a team — we weren’t as good, and losing in the first round of the playoffs? I didn’t like that at all.”
But there were other factors at play, noted Stamps coach and general manager John Hufnagel.
“Romby’s numbers last year were not as big as they were the previous year because, No. 1, there were times we didn’t get him the ball when he could have made big plays,” said Hufnagel. “And No. 2, with the emergence of Johnny Forzani as another speed receiver, the opportunities were more evened out. But Romby is having an excellent camp. He’s a professional with a lot of pride and he wants to be one of the dominant receivers in the Canadian Football League.”
He’s certainly a receiver who has the respect of defenders, few of whom can keep up with him in an all-out sprint.
“He’s a guy who’s going to stretch you, he’s going to run,” said Charlton. “You can’t take a play off with him, because he plays every play the same way — full speed. If you take a play off, you just strike up the band — six points.”
Bryant heads into the 2012 season back at full strength physically, and also riding the high of watching his hometown team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, reach the NBA final. Bryant attended a handful of games during the regular season, and was in the building for the home games in the Thunder’s series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I’ve been there with them since ’08, back when they were losing and weren’t that good. I’ve been there since Day 1,” said Bryant with a smile. “Oh, I’ve loved it. I love going to the games, I love the atmosphere down there in Thunder Alley, I love everything they’re doing for our city.”
But his focus right now is entirely on football, and that means staying on the field as much as possible, running drills with the rookies, and running routes with the scout team.
“I have to do it, the way I see it,” shrugged Bryant. “I still take breaks, but I’m not going to let somebody else run their legs into the ground just to keep my legs fresh. we’re all going to be hurting together, the way I see it.”
And don’t even try to suggest that he’s earned the right to take a few more breaks during practice. He won’t even let you finish the question.
“No, no, I’m not on this team yet,” he insisted. “I haven’t made this roster, yet. That’s the way I see it. I have to EARN a spot on this roster. I look at it like that every year. There’s nothing guaranteed. I might not be here tomorrow.”