Leaving field a letdown for GCC’s Bryant

When Nick Bryant left behind an accomplished prep football career at Burroughs High and moved on to play wide receiver at Glendale Community College, he figured his days as a two-way player were over.

For a little while, at least, they were.

It took six-plus games of the 2008 season for Bryant to finally coax his way onto the field for a defensive down, but it’s now safe to say the role has stuck, as Bryant will begin the season on Saturday as the Vaqueros’ starting wideout and nose tackle.

“I never thought I would come to college and play both ways,” Bryant says. “Last year I was just nagging the coaches to let me in on defense and give me a shot and then one game they put me in and I did good, so they kept me there.

“It is pretty cool to move up to the next level and still be able to play both offense and defense equally well.”

Bryant’s break came at a moment of crisis for the Vaqueros, down big to powerful Bakersfield with their ranks thinned by injuries.

Generously listed as 5 foot 9 on the team roster, Bryant likely wasn’t Coach John Rome’s ideal nose tackle, but the urgency of the moment dictated a role of the dice.

“I said, ‘We’ve got enough injuries, put him in,’” Rome says.

Bryant’s first play on defense came on a goal line stand and he helped the team stuff a touchdown run. On the very next series, he got a sack.

“I’m the smallest person on the field and they put me in at nose on defense. That’s where the big boys are supposed to be,” Bryant recalls. “That first play, I got in there, I made a little something happen.”

Bryant’s value to the team was evident in his All-Northern Conference second-team nod as an all-purpose player.

While his defensive contributions, including two sacks and four tackles for a loss, surely played into that, it was also his efforts as the Vaqueros’ wide receiver that earned him the recognition.

He caught a team-high 23 passes for 283 yards and one touchdown with a team-best average of 12.2 yards per catch in an offense skewed heavily toward the running game.