Martavis Bryant

Martavis Alexander Bryant (born December 20, 1991) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. Bryant has also been a member of the NFL's Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Commanders, the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL), the Beasts of Fan Controlled Football (FCF), and the Vegas Vipers of the XFL.

Bryant was born in Calhoun Falls, South Carolina. In high school, Bryant was a standout football player for two schools. He attended Calhoun Falls High School in South Carolina and transferred to T. L. Hanna High School in Anderson, South Carolina, prior to his senior year because Calhoun Falls High was shut down due to low student numbers from a small town. He was named first-team all-state as a senior recording 70 receptions for 722 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 44 catches for 776 yards and six touchdowns as a junior.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated the 10th best wide receiver prospect in the nation. After high school, he spent one year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, to pass NCAA initial eligibility standards

As a standout sprinter, Bryant ran for the T. L. Hanna track team. He finished 2nd in the 100 meters at the Regional Class 1 AAAA championships, with a time of 10.85 seconds. He also won the 200 meters at the 2010 Region 1-4A Meet, recording a personal-best time of 21.46 seconds.

Bryant began attending Clemson University in 2011. Coming into Clemson, he had to compete with future NFL players, Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, and Jaron Brown. His first reception was for 54 yards against Troy on September 3. The next week, he had his first career touchdown, a 42-yard reception while playing Wofford. His first career start was against No. 10 Virginia Tech on October 1, 2011. He also played in his first bowl game, against No. 22 West Virginia in the Orange Bowl. In that game, he caught two passes for 20 yards. He completed his first season with two starts in 14 games. He finished 2011 with nine receptions, 220 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

After his first season, Bryant's production increased. Against Ball State, he had a 22-yard touchdown catch, a 17-yard carry, and three kickoff returns for 69 yards. He finished the game leading the Tigers with 108 all-purpose yards. For the season, he showed little improvement, having career highs with 10 receptions, 305 receiving yards, and 4 touchdown catches. He led the entire FBS with 30.5 yards per reception.

His junior season was his best year in college. While playing against No. 5 Georgia, he recovered the game winning onside kick. Against North Carolina State, he had 6 receptions for 73 yards. On November 14, against Georgia Tech, he had a career-high 176 receiving yards, on five catches, for one touchdown. In his second Orange Bowl against No. 6 Ohio State he had three catches, 28 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, marking a career-high. He finished 2013 with 42 receptions, 828 receiving yards, and seven touchdown receptions making his career totals, 61 receptions, 1,354 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns.

Bryant announced on January 5, 2014, that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2014 NFL draft.