Matt Bryant is a one-time Pro Bowl American football player who plays in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons having previously represented teams in three different leagues. The placekicker is best known for being the third-oldest player in NFL history to appear in a Super Bowl.
Matt Bryant Biography (Age)
Steven Matt Bryant, son of Casey and Mary Bryant, was born on the 29th of May, 1975 in Orange, Texas. From a very young age, Bryant was very keen on playing sports and was spoilt for choice between football and baseball as he showed considerable talent in both.
Bryant attended Bridge City High School in Bridge City, Texas before enrolling at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. After two years at Trinity Valley where he was a member of the 1994 national championship team and a two-time NJCAA All-American, Bryant transferred to Oregon State University but later again, switched to Baylor University where he played his two remaining collegiate seasons. In his time as a part of the Baylor Bears football team, Bryant scored 105 points to rank him at seventh place in the school’s all-time scoring list. He further set a school record of having a 100 percent success rate in hitting extra points as he managed to score all 42 of his attempts.
After graduating from Baylor, Matt Bryant took a job at a pawn shop and as a personal trainer after he went undrafted at the 1999 NFL Draft. Despite the disappointment, Bryant did not give up on his dream of playing in the NFL. He understood that he might have to prove himself elsewhere before making it to the league, this prompted him to sign with the Arena Football League team, the Iowa Barnstormers in November 1999 although he was also cut from their roster just before their regular season began.
Matt Bryant’s next stop was in New York with the Giants in January 2002. But then, he was immediately shipped off to Europe to join the NFL Europe team, Berlin Thunder. Bryant was out of luck as he was suffering from a quadriceps injury that meant he was cut from the team. The Giants again sent him to the Frankfurt Galaxy, another NFL Europe team but that same injury hampered him from playing a single game. By September 2002, Bryant healed from his injury and was able to line up for the Giants in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. His first season in the NFL turned out to be a solid one as he scored 30 of 32 extra points, and 26 of 32 field-goal attempts.
Bryant remained with the Giants until July 30, 2004, when he was cut from the team. A month later, he joined the Dallas Cowboys roster but was later cut a few weeks later. He went on to spend about a week with the Indianapolis Colts and three weeks with the Miami Dolphins in 2004 before finding a new home in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers. Bryant spent four good years in Tampa before he was released on September 5, 2009.
As a free agent, Matt Bryant had a brief stint with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League before he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. He has gone ahead to play for the team for nine whole years with his current contract set to expire after the 2020 season.
His Family
Matt Bryant is married to Melissa Bryant who was born Melissa Gay Gigliotta on the 24th of December, 1977, in Beaumont, Texas. It is not clear when exactly the couple got married or indeed how they met, however, the two have been together for almost two decades and have a total of seven children, with the eldest ones being in college and the youngest ones in kindergarten. Like their father, the Bryant kids want to become professional athletes, with some concentrating on football while the others participate in basketball and cheerleading.
Together, Matt and Melissa run the Matthew Tryson Bryant Foundation which they established in honor of their son Tryson who died in his sleep at just three months from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The foundation seeks to raise awareness for SIDS and send whatever proceeds it gets to the non-profit organization March of Dimes which caters for mothers and babies.
Height, Weight, Body Stats, and Other Facts
Birth Name: Steven Matt Bryant
Date of Birth: May 29, 1975
Place of Birth: Orange, Texas
Height: 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m)
Weight: 203 pounds (92 kg)
