STARKVILLE — Brandon Bryant arrived to Mississippi State as a top-20 prospect in the state.
After a redshirt year in 2014, Bryant showcased his potential as a redshirt freshman by finishing third among all Southeastern Conference freshmen — first among SEC freshmen defensive backs — with 63 tackles. He also led the Bulldogs and all SEC freshmen in interceptions (three), and was one of two SEC freshmen to return an interception for a touchdown.
In all, Bryant started eight games as a redshirt freshman and nine as a sophomore. In that time Bryant intercepted four passes, broke up three more, and had at least 60 tackles in both seasons.
But Ron English saw something weighing Bryant down when he arrived as MSU’s new safeties coach.
“I felt like (football) was kind of a burden,” English said.
Bryant admits there might have been times when that was the case, especially after his father died in a motorcycle accident late in his freshman season in 2015. After two seasons on a defense that has ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in quarterback rating allowed and an arrest in Georgia days after the St. Petersburg Bowl, football might not have provided the release it once did.
“I’m really trying to get him to enjoy playing football,” English said. “Everything I had heard was that there had been high expectations, and obviously the death of a parent is heavy. I met with him and said, ‘You know what, I don’t even want to talk about football, I want to talk about your life and how you’re dealing with these issues.’ ”
Those talks in English’s office have Bryant playing like a new man in spring. Those who know him well can see it easily. At this pace, Bryant is expected to be a big part of MSU’s defense in the fall.
“I realized I had to change,” Bryant said. “I went to his office and he asked me if I really loved football. We had a long talk. We talk every day, pretty much. I try to surround myself with him and try to be like he is because he’s a great guy.”
Those who knew Bryant before his father’s died see him as being the same as he was before it — a loose, fun person who is much more comfortable when things aren’t so serious.
That’s the Bryant Edwin Norwood remembers. Norwood coached Bryant at Rosa Fort High School in Tunica and recalls him being as a young man who was never uptight and who always did better in environments that reflected that.
Such a demeanor was understandably hard for Bryant to find after losing his father, who Norwood said Bryant was “always talking about his dad, wanting to be like his dad.”
“Playing at the level that he’s playing, it gets to feel like a job sometimes,” Norwood said, “having to deal with the pressure to perform and being put in the limelight and not performing so well.”
The winter before spring practice gave Bryant time away from the spotlight and the access to English so he could re-discover himself. Bryant called him a great person to be around to help him understand the perspective of life without football.
English helped Bryant gain that understanding by talking to him and stressing to Bryant he only has one chance at college football. English told Bryant “this is the greatest time of your life” and he wanted to help him enjoy his final two years as a college football player.
While English focused on Bryant the person, he knew his interactions would benefit Bryant the safety.
“It’s hard to be good when you don’t enjoy playing,” English said. “Until he deals with that and enjoys playing football, he’s not going to be the player he can be.”
By all accounts, Bryant enjoys football now.
“He’s using it as motivation,” Norwood said. “He’s flipped it from a pity party to doing my best to live up to whatever he was trying to prove to himself. Brandon can be whatever he wants to be. He’s in a place where he wants to have fun.”
Bryant said his new outlook on football has helped put a smile on his face and helped him to go hard every day. He said he understands now he has to give it all he has for as long as he has.
“All of my teammates, we enjoy being out there on the field and playing together,” Bryant said. “But when you’re out there you have to have a smile on your face and have fun, regardless of what’s happening.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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