| No. 32 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1951-05-20)May 20, 1951 Fort Sill,Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | October 13, 2009(2009-10-13) (aged 58) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 234 lb (106 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Mitchell (CO) | ||||||||
| College: | Colorado | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1973: 2nd round, 31st pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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William Cullen Bryant (May 20, 1951 – October 13, 2009) was an American professionalfootball player who was arunning back andreturn specialist for 13 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) for theLos Angeles Rams andSeattle Seahawks. He playedcollege football for theColorado Buffaloes.
Bryant was born inFort Sill, Oklahoma. His father, who was a fan ofpoetry, named him after the poetWilliam Cullen Bryant.[1] Hegraduated as part of the first class to spend all three years atWilliam (Billy) Mitchell High School inColorado Springs, Colorado, in 1969.
A three-yearletterman (1970–1972) who played forEddie Crowder at theUniversity of Colorado, Bryant, who wore uniform number 16, starred atdefensive back. During his junior and senior years, the Buffaloes were nationally ranked in theAssociated Press (AP) Poll, finishing 3rd and 16th in 1971 and 1972 respectively. He played in theSenior Bowl andCollege All-Star Game in 1973.[2]
He was selected by the Rams in the second round (31st overall) of the1973 NFL draft.[2] He was the primary return specialist in his first four years with the team, working exclusively onkickoffs as arookie. He scored his first NFLtouchdown on September 30, 1973, when he returned a first-quarter kickoff 93yards in a 40–20 victory over the49ers in San Francisco.
Bryant's one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter gave the Rams an early 7–3 lead in its 31–19 loss to thePittsburgh Steelers inSuper Bowl XIV. He ended the game with 6 carries for 30 yards.[3]
At the behest of Rams ownerCarroll Rosenbloom, Bryant went to court in 1975 to challenge his transfer to theDetroit Lions under the Pete Rozelle Rule. This came after Rozelle ordered Bryant off the Rams and sent to Detroit as compensation for the Rams signing free agent wide receiverRon Jessie. After the judge appeared sympathetic to Bryant's case, the NFL backed off and the Rozelle Rule was subsequently modified.[4]
He served as running backs coach underChuck Stobart at theUniversity of Memphis from 1990 through 1993.[1][5] Bryant died ofnatural causes on October 13, 2009, at his home in Colorado Springs.