Temple University Athletics
Ventell Bryant: Reaching New Heights
8.18.16 | Football
Is it possible to be both under-the-radar and a rising star?
That's a fair question to ask when you're discussing Temple wide receiver Ventell Bryant.
A redshirt sophomore, the 6' 3" Bryant is a relative unknown outside of the Temple campus and his hometown of Tampa, FL – and with good reason: He hasn't spent that much time on the football field.
Bryant's only year as a starter at Tampa's Jefferson High School came as a senior – a campaign in which he caught 34 passes for 756 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 21 yards per reception for a Jefferson High squad that advanced to the second round of the Florida 6A playoffs.
After arriving in Philadelphia in 2014 and redshirting, he became a top target for Phillip Walker last season. Bryant set Temple freshman records for receptions (39) and receiving yards (579), finishing the year second on the team in both categories.
As for star power, performances like his six-catch, 91-yard affair last October 31 against #9 Notre Dame and a 75-yard touchdown catch the following week at SMU put him on the map.
With the departures of Robby Anderson (New York Jets) and Brandon Shippen (Miami Dolphins) – a pair of receivers now in NFL training camps – Bryant is being looked upon to provide leadership and encouragement to Temple's young wide receiver corps.
OwlSports.com went one-on-one with Bryant to learn more about the team's top returning receiver.
OwlSports.com: The scouting report on you as a person is that you're a shy, quiet kid. Is it possible to play a position like wide receiver and actually be shy and quiet?
Ventell Bryant: "I'm a shy person, so I like to lead by example on the field. I'm not a very vocal guy. I don't talk a lot out there. But I like to show what I can do on the field – and let that be an example for the younger guys."
Last year, you had the chance to play with a pair of wide receivers – Robby Anderson and Brandon Shippen – who are now in NFL camps. Does that motivate you, seeing guys you were in the huddle with a year ago getting the chance to make an NFL team?
"It definitely does. To see guys like Robby and Ship – the way they practiced every day, the passion they showed for the game – it just motivates me a lot. To see them at the next level – where I want to be one day – it just motivates me. I believe I can do that, too."
You really got your feet wet as a Division I wide receiver last season. What were your key takeaways?
"I learned a lot last year. I learned you need to take care of your body to get through a full season. I learned how to watch film, thanks to the older guys – JC (John Christopher), Robby, Ship. I learned a lot from those guys. They taught me about attacking every day like you want to win, and about always being at your best. Seeing the drive and the hunger that those guys played with – it just continues to motivate me."
Now that you have a little experience, what adjustments did you make to get yourself ready for your sophomore season?
"This summer, I attacked the weight room. I'm around 194 pounds now. I worked on my speed a lot more. I worked on catching the ball more consistently. I've been watching a lot of tape, and I've been watching a lot of coverages. When I see the weakside safety, I know what his role is. I just learned how to read defenses. And now I can say this … I've learned how to never bring anything from the outside into practice. I just come in every day and attack as hard as I can – so I can be the best that I can be."
At 6' 3", you make a nice target for a quarterback. Do you consider height advantage to be your game, or some combination of size and speed? Or, in your words, how would you describe yourself as a wide receiver?
"I'm a wide receiver who pays attention to the very small details. I look at my opponent and just read how he plays – and try to find out the ways to beat him. If it's from a release standpoint, I try to attack him to beat him when we release. If it's a smaller guy, I know that with my frame and my size, I can just jump over him to catch the ball."
You have been referred to as a rising star. When you hear the phrase "rising star," how does that make you feel?
"It makes me feel good, but I really don't like to listen to that kind of talk from the outside. I think if I listen to that, it can only make me complacent. So I feel like every day I have to go about it with something to prove. I've had to prove myself my whole career. Keeping that chip on my shoulder makes me the player that I am."
You went to a great high school in Tampa that has produced a lot of athletes who have gone on to play college and professional sports. What was it like walking down the halls of Jefferson High School?
"It was definitely a blessing seeing and hearing about those guys. My freshman year, Andre Davis was there; he's now on the (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers' roster. So was Chris Moore, who was drafted this year by the Baltimore Ravens. Just seeing those guys every day, and knowing the athletes produced by my high school, it just opened my eyes. I was like, 'Man, I could be like them one day.' "
Over a dozen guys from your high school have gone to play in the NFL. And then there are the names of some of the baseball graduates … big-time names like Fred McGriff, Luis Gonzalez, Tino Martinez and Tony LaRussa. It had to be cool to know guys like that went to your high school.
"It was awesome. I played baseball my junior and senior year in high school, and I had a heck of a coach – Pop Cuesta – who produced a lot of talent. He was a great coach. I wish I played baseball all the way through."
What's your baseball story?
"Baseball was my first sport growing up. I didn't start playing football at all until I was 9 or 10 years old. I started playing baseball when I was 4 or 5 years old, and I played it all the way through eighth grade. Then I stopped playing, but I started again my junior year – and played as a junior and a senior. I was a pitcher and a centerfielder."
What led you to concentrate on football?
"It was a mixture of things. I always liked football, but my mom didn't let me play when I was younger. She said I was too small. I convinced her one day – and totally fell in love with the game."
You didn't see a whole lot of high school football action? Did you take up the sport late?
"We had a lot of talent coming up through my high school. I made the varsity my sophomore year, but I didn't play. I was supposed to play my junior year, but I got injured and didn't play much. So I really only played as a senior."
You had a solid senior year to get yourself noticed and came here to Temple – which continues to develop a nice Florida pipeline. What was it about Temple that said this is where you should be?
"Just talking to the coaches … they welcomed me in right away. It felt like home when I came up here for my official visit. I felt like I could adjust to the cold, and I knew that wasn't something I had to worry about. A lot of Florida guys had come here before me and liked it. They had a great coaching staff here and an up-and-coming team, so I wanted to come and be a part of it."
When you got here, I'm sure – like every freshman – that you expected to play from Day One. That didn't happen, as you were redshirted. What was it like sitting and watching that first year?
"It was definitely tough. Coming from Florida, I had intentions of playing. But everything happens for a reason. It was definitely tough on me at the beginning, but I did everything I was supposed to do during my redshirt year to prove to the coaches that I should be playing the following year. I just attacked the weight room. I attacked the winter. I attacked the spring. And it's all paid off for me."
What did you learn about yourself through all of that?
"I learned how to become more driven. I learned how to be more passionate about the game. I learned how to take every detail seriously. I had to pay attention to the small things … that's what separates you from the rest of the guys. When the guys finish their workout, you have to do extra. When everyone's asleep, you have to come out to the facility and do extra. And that's the way I've worked since I've been here."
There are some true freshmen at practice right now that are going to redshirt this year. What suggestions would you make to those players if they came to you for advice?
"I would definitely tell them that the redshirt year … I understand you don't want to sit for the year, but it will only make you better. You're going to get stronger, you're going to get faster, you're going to learn that playbook better. Just take that redshirt year and dominate. Do it day-in and day-out – and I'll promise you that you'll get better."
You set Temple freshman records for receptions and receiving yards last year. What do you expect out of yourself this season?
"I have a lot of things that I really want to hone in on this year. I want to be a better down-the-field catcher. I want to be more consistent; I had too many drops last year, and that's something I have to cut down. I want to do better in the run game. And I have to stay healthy. Last year, in the last four games, I was really limited – so I have to continue to do the little things so I can finish out the whole season."
Final question … With the losses of Anderson and Shippen, among others, you're being looked upon to provide leadership and encouragement to the younger wide receivers. What does being a leader mean to you?
"Being a leader means a lot to me. I've never really been a leader on any of my teams; I've only been leading by example. Just seeing how the younger guys look up to me and ask me questions, or how I communicate with our position group now … it's just a good feeling inside, knowing these guys really care about you and are looking up to you in that sort of way."
Click here to watch video.
That's a fair question to ask when you're discussing Temple wide receiver Ventell Bryant.
A redshirt sophomore, the 6' 3" Bryant is a relative unknown outside of the Temple campus and his hometown of Tampa, FL – and with good reason: He hasn't spent that much time on the football field.
Bryant's only year as a starter at Tampa's Jefferson High School came as a senior – a campaign in which he caught 34 passes for 756 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 21 yards per reception for a Jefferson High squad that advanced to the second round of the Florida 6A playoffs.
After arriving in Philadelphia in 2014 and redshirting, he became a top target for Phillip Walker last season. Bryant set Temple freshman records for receptions (39) and receiving yards (579), finishing the year second on the team in both categories.
As for star power, performances like his six-catch, 91-yard affair last October 31 against #9 Notre Dame and a 75-yard touchdown catch the following week at SMU put him on the map.
With the departures of Robby Anderson (New York Jets) and Brandon Shippen (Miami Dolphins) – a pair of receivers now in NFL training camps – Bryant is being looked upon to provide leadership and encouragement to Temple's young wide receiver corps.
OwlSports.com went one-on-one with Bryant to learn more about the team's top returning receiver.
OwlSports.com: The scouting report on you as a person is that you're a shy, quiet kid. Is it possible to play a position like wide receiver and actually be shy and quiet?
Ventell Bryant: "I'm a shy person, so I like to lead by example on the field. I'm not a very vocal guy. I don't talk a lot out there. But I like to show what I can do on the field – and let that be an example for the younger guys."
Last year, you had the chance to play with a pair of wide receivers – Robby Anderson and Brandon Shippen – who are now in NFL camps. Does that motivate you, seeing guys you were in the huddle with a year ago getting the chance to make an NFL team?
"It definitely does. To see guys like Robby and Ship – the way they practiced every day, the passion they showed for the game – it just motivates me a lot. To see them at the next level – where I want to be one day – it just motivates me. I believe I can do that, too."
You really got your feet wet as a Division I wide receiver last season. What were your key takeaways?
"I learned a lot last year. I learned you need to take care of your body to get through a full season. I learned how to watch film, thanks to the older guys – JC (John Christopher), Robby, Ship. I learned a lot from those guys. They taught me about attacking every day like you want to win, and about always being at your best. Seeing the drive and the hunger that those guys played with – it just continues to motivate me."
Now that you have a little experience, what adjustments did you make to get yourself ready for your sophomore season?
"This summer, I attacked the weight room. I'm around 194 pounds now. I worked on my speed a lot more. I worked on catching the ball more consistently. I've been watching a lot of tape, and I've been watching a lot of coverages. When I see the weakside safety, I know what his role is. I just learned how to read defenses. And now I can say this … I've learned how to never bring anything from the outside into practice. I just come in every day and attack as hard as I can – so I can be the best that I can be."
At 6' 3", you make a nice target for a quarterback. Do you consider height advantage to be your game, or some combination of size and speed? Or, in your words, how would you describe yourself as a wide receiver?
"I'm a wide receiver who pays attention to the very small details. I look at my opponent and just read how he plays – and try to find out the ways to beat him. If it's from a release standpoint, I try to attack him to beat him when we release. If it's a smaller guy, I know that with my frame and my size, I can just jump over him to catch the ball."
You have been referred to as a rising star. When you hear the phrase "rising star," how does that make you feel?
"It makes me feel good, but I really don't like to listen to that kind of talk from the outside. I think if I listen to that, it can only make me complacent. So I feel like every day I have to go about it with something to prove. I've had to prove myself my whole career. Keeping that chip on my shoulder makes me the player that I am."
You went to a great high school in Tampa that has produced a lot of athletes who have gone on to play college and professional sports. What was it like walking down the halls of Jefferson High School?
"It was definitely a blessing seeing and hearing about those guys. My freshman year, Andre Davis was there; he's now on the (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers' roster. So was Chris Moore, who was drafted this year by the Baltimore Ravens. Just seeing those guys every day, and knowing the athletes produced by my high school, it just opened my eyes. I was like, 'Man, I could be like them one day.' "
Over a dozen guys from your high school have gone to play in the NFL. And then there are the names of some of the baseball graduates … big-time names like Fred McGriff, Luis Gonzalez, Tino Martinez and Tony LaRussa. It had to be cool to know guys like that went to your high school.
"It was awesome. I played baseball my junior and senior year in high school, and I had a heck of a coach – Pop Cuesta – who produced a lot of talent. He was a great coach. I wish I played baseball all the way through."
What's your baseball story?
"Baseball was my first sport growing up. I didn't start playing football at all until I was 9 or 10 years old. I started playing baseball when I was 4 or 5 years old, and I played it all the way through eighth grade. Then I stopped playing, but I started again my junior year – and played as a junior and a senior. I was a pitcher and a centerfielder."
What led you to concentrate on football?
"It was a mixture of things. I always liked football, but my mom didn't let me play when I was younger. She said I was too small. I convinced her one day – and totally fell in love with the game."
You didn't see a whole lot of high school football action? Did you take up the sport late?
"We had a lot of talent coming up through my high school. I made the varsity my sophomore year, but I didn't play. I was supposed to play my junior year, but I got injured and didn't play much. So I really only played as a senior."
You had a solid senior year to get yourself noticed and came here to Temple – which continues to develop a nice Florida pipeline. What was it about Temple that said this is where you should be?
"Just talking to the coaches … they welcomed me in right away. It felt like home when I came up here for my official visit. I felt like I could adjust to the cold, and I knew that wasn't something I had to worry about. A lot of Florida guys had come here before me and liked it. They had a great coaching staff here and an up-and-coming team, so I wanted to come and be a part of it."
When you got here, I'm sure – like every freshman – that you expected to play from Day One. That didn't happen, as you were redshirted. What was it like sitting and watching that first year?
"It was definitely tough. Coming from Florida, I had intentions of playing. But everything happens for a reason. It was definitely tough on me at the beginning, but I did everything I was supposed to do during my redshirt year to prove to the coaches that I should be playing the following year. I just attacked the weight room. I attacked the winter. I attacked the spring. And it's all paid off for me."
What did you learn about yourself through all of that?
"I learned how to become more driven. I learned how to be more passionate about the game. I learned how to take every detail seriously. I had to pay attention to the small things … that's what separates you from the rest of the guys. When the guys finish their workout, you have to do extra. When everyone's asleep, you have to come out to the facility and do extra. And that's the way I've worked since I've been here."
There are some true freshmen at practice right now that are going to redshirt this year. What suggestions would you make to those players if they came to you for advice?
"I would definitely tell them that the redshirt year … I understand you don't want to sit for the year, but it will only make you better. You're going to get stronger, you're going to get faster, you're going to learn that playbook better. Just take that redshirt year and dominate. Do it day-in and day-out – and I'll promise you that you'll get better."
You set Temple freshman records for receptions and receiving yards last year. What do you expect out of yourself this season?
"I have a lot of things that I really want to hone in on this year. I want to be a better down-the-field catcher. I want to be more consistent; I had too many drops last year, and that's something I have to cut down. I want to do better in the run game. And I have to stay healthy. Last year, in the last four games, I was really limited – so I have to continue to do the little things so I can finish out the whole season."
Final question … With the losses of Anderson and Shippen, among others, you're being looked upon to provide leadership and encouragement to the younger wide receivers. What does being a leader mean to you?
"Being a leader means a lot to me. I've never really been a leader on any of my teams; I've only been leading by example. Just seeing how the younger guys look up to me and ask me questions, or how I communicate with our position group now … it's just a good feeling inside, knowing these guys really care about you and are looking up to you in that sort of way."
Click here to watch video.
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