College
2007-09 – Oklahoma State
Career
2010-17 – Dallas Cowboys
2018 – New Orleans Saints
2020 – Baltimore Ravens
With CeeDee Lamb the current star receiver for the Dallas Cowboys wearing the iconic number 88, his predecessor is starting to fade from memory. Dez Bryant was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and was sought after by many major college football programs. Bryant decided to join Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys mostly due to their wide receiver coach, Gunter Brewer, who was vital to the development of Hall of Famer Randy Moss.
Dez Bryant set the college football scene on fire as he was a walking touchdown in his sophomore year as he scored three or more touchdowns in four of the thirteen games he appeared in. Despite that, due to controversy in Bryant’s Junior year concerning an interaction he had with Hall of Famer defensive back Deion Sanders, he was suspended for the rest of that campaign after only playing three games. Bryant’s college career statistics were still incredible, in just two full seasons he finished with 147 receptions, 2,425 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns.
Coming into the 2010 draft Dez Bryant drew comparisons to Terrell Owens physically due to his elite size and strength for a receiver. This led the Dallas Cowboys to select Bryant with the 24th overall pick in the first round. The Cowboys had great belief in Bryant and, in doing so gave him the prestigious number 88, which had previously been worn by Dallas Cowboys legends at the receiver position, Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson.
Bryant had a great rookie year but in week 13 he fractured his ankle meaning he would miss the rest of the season. This injury would unfortunately be the first injury of many for Bryant’s career as they would consistently keep him on the sideline. In his sophomore year, Bryant would stamp himself a starting spot in the Cowboys lineup as he would begin to build a great relationship with quarterback Tony Romo. Even though Bryant was consistently dealing with injuries he was emerging as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. With his great strength and ability to gain yards after the catch, Bryant was becoming one of the biggest red zone threats in the league.
2014 was the best season of Dez Bryant's career as he recorded 88 receptions, 1,320 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season. This would lead him to make the Pro Bowl game and be selected to the All-Pro first team for that year. The Dallas Cowboys would also make the playoffs for the first time since 2009 with one of the most controversial games taking place during the Cowboys playoff run. On January 11th, 2015, the Dallas Cowboys played the Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in the divisional playoff round. This game is commonly known as the ‘No-Catch Game’ as Dez Bryant attempted to secure the pass from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo with just under five minutes left in the 4th quarter. The officials first deemed it a catch which would have meant that the Cowboys would have been positioned in the 1st and goal range. The Green Bay Packers coaches challenged the call, and the catch was then overturned to incomplete meaning that the Packers would then gain possession of the ball. The NFL then over the next few years would then change the rules in relation to a player catching the ball when falling to the ground. With these new rules, Dez Bryant’s catch would most likely have been regarded as complete which many people at the time thought was the right call. This was a dark moment in Dez Bryant's career as the Cowboys lost this game which eliminated them from the playoffs.
From 2015 onwards, injuries would continue to affect the performance of Dez Bryant, as he would spend more time off the field than on it. The spotlight in Dallas was beginning to shift, as the introduction of young stars Dak Prescott at quarterback and Ezekiel Elliott at running back started to take the shine away from Bryant. To stay on the team Bryant would have to take a pay cut but was not fond of this, so he left Dallas after seven years to join the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, two days after signing the deal to join the Saints, Dez Bryant tore his Achilles which saw him miss the next two NFL seasons to rehabilitate. Bryant in 2020 joined the Baltimore Ravens but did not fit into the system that they had adopted due to it being run heavy. Dez Bryant has not played since that season but his body of work within the 2010s has started to go under the radar.
Bryant was an end zone magnet as he led the league in touchdowns in 2014 with 16, showcasing his coordination and his ability to adjust to the ball. He also has the most receiving touchdowns in Cowboys franchise history recording 73. The connection he had with Tony Romo was special to watch as they gave us endless showtime moments during the time they were together. His eccentric nature, combined with his iconic ‘throw up the X’ celebration, consistently drew fans to him. Sadly, injuries prevented us from seeing his dominance for a long period, but Dez Bryant is still someone that we shall never forget.
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