'I Faced My Demons!' Martavis Bryant Dallas Cowboys 1st Interview on NFL Comeback from 'Dark Places'
FRISCO - Receiver Martavis Bryant conducted his first media interview on Wednesday as a just-signed member of the Dallas Cowboys and was revealing and reflective of his long journey back into the NFL - a journey that he frankly concedes to him to some "places that you couldn’t even imagine, some really dark places and times.''
The NFL lifted its indefinite suspension from 2018 on Bryant over the weekend, freeing him to attempt a re-entry into the league as he approaches his 32nd birthday in December. The five-year suspension was the result of his repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy.
"I had to look myself in mirror, face my own demons and get myself together,'' said Bryant, who will start on the Dallas practice squad and who plans on participating in his first team practice on Thursday here inside The Star.
The Cowboys, who conducted a private workout of Bryant, came away hopeful that the 6-4, 210-pound pass-catcher can recapture some of what he accomplished with the Steelers at the start of his career. After being picked by Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he caught eight TD passes as a rookie. He caught six more touchdowns in his second season, and in each of his second and third seasons he caught 50 passes.
Said Bryant: “The sky’s the limit for me. I know I’m 31 but I’m still fast, still big, I still want to play football. I haven’t lost anything.''
That would be unusual, frankly. But the workout was impressive, as was Bryant's work last year in the XFL, in the view of the Dallas scouting department. (And, apparently, in the view of the Lions and Titans, who were also apparently in on the bidding here.)
"He's a guy that's a big, strong, fast receiver that we'll certainly take a look at," Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said on the eve of the signing.
Bryant said he's been running at 22 MPH in workouts and that he's "in shape, but I've got to get in football shape.''
All of this places Bryant well short of joining Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb and company on the 53-man roster. But if the "demons'' are behind him, the climb can begin.
"It’s more of a prove-it point to me,'' Bryant said. "I got a lot of doubters out there. It’s more of me proving to myself that I still got it.”
