New Argo Bryant feels he still has a lot left in the tank
Martavis Bryant believes he still has plenty of football left in him.
The 29-year-old former NFL star signed with the Argonauts on Monday, through the 2022 season, following multiple suspensions for substance abuse violations. Out of football since 2018, the six-foot-four, 210pound former Clemson receiver is anxious to resume his pro career in Canada.
“It’s just a new start for me, a new beginning,” Bryant said during a telephone interview. “I still have a lot of ball in me. I still want to play and still have a lot left on the table.”
Bryant spent five seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2014-17) and Oakland Raiders (2018), registering 145 catches for 2,183 yards and 17 TDs in 44 career games. But he was also suspended several times for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
NFL.com reported in July that multiple teams had expressed interest in Bryant but that he hadn’t applied for reinstatement after receiving an indefinite suspension in 2018 while with Oakland. He hasn’t played in the league since that ban.
Bryant was suspended for the 2016 season for multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. He also received a four-game ban in 2015 for violating the policy.
According to multiple media reports, the NFL suspended Bryant for marijuana use. Because he is longer under contract with a team south of the border, he was free to sign with Toronto. Marijuana is not on the league’s prohibited list so Bryant isn’t penalized under the CFL/CFLPA drug policy.
“People learn from their mistakes,” Bryant said. “I was younger and I know people say that all the time but, at the end of the day, it’s about maturing, owning up to what went wrong and just changing it.”
Neither is Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “I believe he’s matured and got past all that stuff,” he said. “We’re moving forward with him.”
Bryant isn’t the first high-profile player to come with the Argos after issues south of the border. In the early part of the century the team brought in receivers Robert Baker, R. Jay Soward and Andre Rison and running back Ricky Williams following suspensions or brushes with the law.
Bryant isn’t concerned that he hasn’t played football since 2018.
“I still know how to play the game,” he said. “People just don’t know what I’ve been doing. I’ve been training, I’ve been working out, I’ve been running. I’ve been staying active the last two years. I’m super excited to get back into this.”
But Bryant will have to adjust to a different game. He expects to bend the ear of Argos defensive back Shaquille Richardson, a former teammate in Pittsburgh and Oakland. “I’m going to sit down with and talk with (Richardson) and I’m going to learn a few things from him.”
Bryant said he’s not coming to Toronto only with an eye on a return to the NFL
“One step at a time,” he said. “I’m ready to get out there and just take it one step at a time and do what I’ve got to do to bring excitement to the city and play great for my teammates and show I’m dependable.
“I’m coming up there to continue to love what I do, which is to play the game of football and have fun doing it. I’ve watched some (CFL) games … but I still have a lot of learning to do.”