Who is Dez Bryant? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Desmond Demond Bryant

Age: 35 Years, 35 Year Old Males

Family:

father: MacArthur Hatton

mother: Angela Bryant

Partner: lyne Nash

American Football Players American Men

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

Notable Alumni: Oklahoma State University

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: Oklahoma State University

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Childhood & Early Life

Dez Bryant was born in Galveston County, Texas on 4th November 1988 to a single teenage mother. He had a troubled childhood.

He eventually moved to Lufkin, Texas and studied at the Lufkin High School, where he developed an interest in football. He played for the Panthers football team.

He caught 48 passes as a junior, for 1025 yards and 16 touchdowns. Along with defensive lineman Jamarkus McFarland, he helped Lufkin to a 14-1 record. He had 53 receptions during his senior year, for 1207 yards. Lufkin finished the season 11-1, though they lost 38-25 to Round Rock in the area round of the playoffs. After the season, Bryant took part in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl.

He used to compete in track and field as well, and was one of the state’s top competitors in triple jump. He was also known as an outstanding hurdler.

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College Career

Dez Bryant attended Oklahoma State University from 2007 to 2009. During this time, he became a member of the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team. He proved to be a very efficient player. He set a school record for receiving yards in a game by a freshman in a game against the University of Kansas, Jaywalks.

He continued to perform well and finished the 2008 season for Oklahoma State with 87 receptions for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns. However, during the 2009 season, he was ruled ineligible for the rest of the season for violating an NCAA bylaw.

Professional Career

During his collegiate career, Dez Bryant received wide attention due to his remarkable skills; he also earned the reputation of being the best wide receiver available. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a five-year contract with them for around $10 million.

He made his NFL debut in a match against the Washington Redskins in September 2010. He had eight receptions for 56 yards in his first game. He continued to perform well, and in a game against the New York Giants in October, he caught four passes for 54 yards, two of them for touchdowns. He also returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown. He finished his rookie season with 45 receptions for 56 yards and six receiving touchdowns.

His first game of the 2011 season was against the New York Jets. He had three receptions with one touchdown. His team, however, lost the match with a 27-24 score.

His second game was against the Washington Redskins. Despite the fact that he was injured, he achieved four receptions for 63 yards in the game which ended in a victory for his team. He performed quite well in the rest of the season, and finished with 63 receptions for 928 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Though his performance improved greatly during the 2012 season, he suffered an injury during the second half of the season. At the end of the season, he had 92 receptions, 1382 yards and 12 touchdowns.

His next season began with a match against the New York Giants. He managed to get four receptions for 22 receiving yards and led his team to a victory. At the end of the season, he reached his career high of 93 catches and 13 touchdowns and 1233 yards.

During the 2014 season—which was also the final year of his contract—he played remarkably well. It was the most productive year of his career so far. In the season, he caught 88 passes for 1320 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a result of his brilliant performance, he was selected for his second Pro-Bowl appearance.

In March 2015, he signed a second contract with the Cowboys which was worth $70 million. However, he was plagued by injuries and could play only in nine games during the season. He still finished the season with 401 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.

His amazing form continued throughout the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He finished the 2017 season with 838 yards, 69 receptions, and six touchdowns.

Awards & Achievements

Dez Bryant entered the NFL Top 100 Players list twice in 2016 and 2017. In the 2016 list, he was ranked at the 51st position while in the 2017 list he was ranked at the 60th position.

Personal Life

Dez Bryant is in a relationship with Ilyne Nash. He has two sons: Zayne and Dez Jr.

Bryant has a bitter relationship with his biological mother Angela Bryant. When he was eight years of age, she was arrested for selling crack cocaine. He was arrested in 2012 on charges of domestic violence for allegedly hitting her.

Dez Bryant Biography