May 25, 2010

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - He kicked them to victory at a time when his heart was broken. In return, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked Matt Bryant to the curb.

He's been through more tragedy and a very humbling experience since that 2008 weekend when he buried his infant son and booted the Buccaneers to victory. But if you thought all those off-field sorrows were going to relegate Bryant to a spot in the minor leagues and send him on a path out of football, think again.

Bryant, 34, is back in the NFL, back in the NFC South and doing just fine. He's the kicker for the Atlanta Falcons and, in some ways, he's stronger now than he was before the sudden death of his infant son, Tryson, and the slow and painful death of his father.

"There's never a day that goes by that I don't think about my son and now my dad," Bryant said after a recent workout with the Falcons. "That just never goes away. It doesn't change and it probably never will. That's all right because that's my life. But when I step out on the field, no matter what has happened off the field, I go out there with the mentality of trying to be the best.''

That's Bryant's mindset these days and he's in a good spot. The Falcons have some younger kickers on the roster, but all indications are they'll go with Bryant as long as he kicks well in training camp and the preseason.

"Right now, Matt Bryant is our kicker, but we have a very competitive situation,'' Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. "Matt's advantage is he has done it in this league. He's had some tough times personally, but he's a very strong man.''

Probably stronger than any of us realize. After going undrafted out of Baylor, Bryant had to scratch and claw his way to the NFL. He worked in a pawn shop and as a personal trainer for several years before catching on with the New York Giants in 2002. He bounced around with the Colts and Dolphins, too, before finally finding what seemed like a home in Tampa Bay in 2005.

To read the full article on espn.com, click here.