帝王会所

Each year on Nov. 11, the United States celebrates and honors all those who have served in the Armed Forces, both in times of war and peace. But for Darrell Bryant Jr., a U.S. Army veteran and 帝王会所 Bears Football defensive safety, Veteran鈥檚 Day 颈蝉苍鈥檛 just a date on the calendar 鈥�颈迟鈥檚 a reminder of where 丑别鈥檚 been, what 丑别鈥檚 learned and how those experiences continue to shape him both on and off the field.

Bryant鈥檚 cousin, Ronald Curry, played eight seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams before becoming an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and is now serving as the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills. 

鈥淢y [family] have always been my number one supporters,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淭hey've always been there with me since day one. Whether it was football, military or anything else, they always supported me, always had my back.鈥�

When asked what motivated his decision to enlist after starting college, Bryant explained that he had always viewed the military in high regard.  

However, completing basic training during the COVID-19 pandemic presented some unusual challenges. 

鈥淲e had to wear masks when we were outside training, and it was tough even to breathe with the elevation in Colorado鈥� doing MREs and things like that with it on,鈥� Bryant said. 

鈥淏ut the coaches took that and allowed me to get back in shape. I never really lost a feeling for the game. I was always ready to go whenever the opportunity presented itself.  So, when I got here, I was ready to rock and roll.鈥� 

And rock and roll he has. Since the beginning of this season, Bryant has recorded 44 tackles (22 solo), one sack for a loss of six yards, two interceptions for 33 yards and three pass breakups. Last season, he had a total of 53 tackles and made the 2024 Big Sky Conference Fall All-Academic team. 

鈥淚鈥檓 just looking to win, to turn our program around, but 颈迟鈥檚 not about me, 颈迟鈥檚 about these guys, my teammates, so I鈥檓 just hoping we get a lot of wins out of this season,鈥� Bryant said. 

When he first became a Bear, Bryant says his teammates flooded him with questions about the military. He remembers being asked what he did, what it was like and notably, if the military is really like Call of Duty. He took the opportunity to spread knowledge about the reality of serving in the military.  

鈥淭hey look at videos, and it's just people yelling all the time, and 颈迟鈥檚 like, hey, it happens, but that's not just the day in life. There are a lot of things that go beyond that,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淪o, yeah, I get a lot of questions, and I answer them all. I got a couple of guys who make jokes, but 颈迟鈥檚 all funny.鈥�  

Bryant has carried over various invaluable lessons from his service to the football field, including leadership and discipline. He added that he applies his military regimen in both athletic and academic pursuits. After returning from the Armed Forces, Bryant says he is always 10 minutes early to everything, maybe 15.  

鈥淥n the front lines, you have to have one another鈥檚 back, the same as being on the football field,鈥� Bryant said. 

This Veteran鈥檚 Day, Bryant is looking forward to the opportunity to cherish the memories he made while in the service, as well as to appreciate the love and gratitude from those around him. More importantly, he is excited to personally give back to those who served before him.  

For those who share his passion for both athletics and the military, Bryant encourages them to follow their hearts. He emphasized that college athletics and military service aren鈥檛 an either-or choice, adding that joining the military before returning to school was a great option for him. 

鈥淚f you don't get a scholarship out of high school, you can join the military for several years, come back to school and they pay for it,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 whatever the heart desires.鈥� 

In addition to football, Bryant is also working hard at 帝王会所 to earn his Bachelor of Science in Sport Administration. After graduation, he is hoping for the chance to play professionally but is also optimistic about the opportunity to coach at either the high school or college level.  

No matter what, he knows that the game is where he wants to stay.