Fernando Bryant
{{Short description|American football player (born 1977)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Fernando Bryant
| position = Cornerback
| number = 25
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|3|26}}
| birth_place = Albany, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lbs = 184
| high_school = Riverdale
(Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
| college = Alabama
| draftyear = 1999
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 26
| teams =
- Jacksonville Jaguars ({{NFL Year|1999}}–{{NFL Year|2003}})
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2004}}–{{NFL Year|2007}})
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2008}})*
- Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|2008}})
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (XLIII)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (1999)
- First-team All-SEC (1998)
- 2× Second-team All-SEC (1996, 1997)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 472
| statlabel2 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue2 = 2
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 7
| statlabel4 = Pass deflections
| statvalue4 = 79
| statlabel5 = Interceptions
| statvalue5 = 7
| pfr = BryaFe20
}}
Fernando Antoneyo Bryant (born March 26, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars 26th overall in the 1999 NFL draft. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Bryant was also a member of the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII as a member of the Steelers.
Early life
Bryant attended Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and starred in football as a wide receiver/defensive back and in track as a sprinter. In football, as a senior, he garnered All-American 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, 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 selected in the first round (26th overall) in the 1999 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.{{Cite web |title=1999 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1999/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He spent five years with the Jaguars.
=Detroit Lions=
Bryant was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions in 2004. On February 25, 2008, the Lions released Bryant.{{Cite web |last=Yuille |first=Sean |date=2008-02-25 |title=Lions Release Fernando Bryant |url=https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2008/2/25/155826/274 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Pride Of Detroit|publisher=SB Nation}}
=New England Patriots=
On March 20, 2008, he signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, 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 teammate Deshea Townsend.[http://news.steelers.com/article/99455/ Steelers Sign Veteran Cornerback; Release Rookie Linebacker] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226054719/http://news.steelers.com/article/99455/ |date=February 26, 2012 }}
In June 2009, Bryant retired.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
=NFL statistics=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! rowspan="2"| GP ! colspan="4"| Tackles ! colspan="2"| Fumbles ! colspan="6"| Interceptions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comb | Solo | Ast | Sack | FF | FR | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD |
| 1999 || JAX
| 16 || 69 || 60 || 9 || 0.0 || 0 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 16 | |||||||||||
| 2000 || JAX
| 14 || 43 || 37 || 6 || 0.0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 7 | |||||||||||
| 2001 || JAX
| 10 || 54 || 49 || 5 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 6 | |||||||||||
| 2002 || JAX
| 16 || 59 || 57 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 2 || 1 || 26 || 26.0 || 26 || 0 || 12 | |||||||||||
| 2003 || JAX
| 16 || 70 || 61 || 9 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 9 | |||||||||||
| 2004 || DET
| 10 || 51 || 42 || 9 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 9 | |||||||||||
| 2005 || DET
| 2 || 8 || 7 || 1 || 0.0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 1 | |||||||||||
| 2006 || DET
| 10 || 46 || 36 || 10 || 0.0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 6 | |||||||||||
| 2007 || DET
| 16 || 69 || 59 || 10 || 0.0 || 1 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 13 | |||||||||||
| 2008 || style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|PIT
| 2 || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||
| colspan="2"| Career{{cite web|title=Fernando Bryant Stats|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/1778/fernando-bryant|website=ESPN|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|access-date=June 17, 2014}} || 112 || 472 || 411 || 61 || 0.0 || 2 || 7 || 7 || 26 || 3.7 || 26 || 0 || 79 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070630222423/http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=213&season=7 Detroit Lions bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110519104532/http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=33025 New England Patriots bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090118001458/http://news.steelers.com/team/player/99451/ Pittsburgh Steelers bio]
{{1999 NFL Draft}}
{{JaguarsFirstPick}}
{{Jaguars1999DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XLIII}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Fernando}}
Category:Players of American football from Albany, Georgia
Category:American football cornerbacks
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players
Category:Detroit Lions players