11-19-2009, 08:21 AM
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High school football: Brookhaven's Bryant shot up just in time
Thursday, November 19, 2009
By Mark Znidar
The Columbus Dispatch
Kyle Robertson | Dispatch
At 6 feet 5 and 220 pounds, Derrick Bryant, who will attend UCLA, is one reason Brookhaven has reached a Division II regional final.
It wouldn't be totally accurate to say that Derrick Bryant was growing up when he was in elementary school.
Although he might have been maturing intellectually, he wasn't exactly going up the growth chart physically.
"I was short and chubby as a little kid," Bryant said. "I was clumsy, too. I'd trip all the time over my own feet."
Then genetics took over in a big way. His father, Lorenzo, was a 6-foot-6 forward who lettered on the 1988-89 Ohio University basketball team. Derrick grew to 6-1 as a freshman at Brookhaven and now is almost 6-5 this year as a senior.
Football, not basketball, became his game when he started lifting weights and went from 160 pounds as a 14-year-old to at least 220.
There are games when Bryant does trip, but that's usually over opponents that he knocks off their feet as a defensive end. He has 16 sacks and 91 tackles this season.
"Derrick has been tremendous for us," defensive coordinator Steve Ayers said. "But wait until he fills out even more. I think he can get bigger. You've got to remember that he's always playing against smaller guys in high school, and that can be hard for a big man. Derrick has the potential to dominate games."
Bryant, a senior who has committed to play for UCLA, was just that in a 21-10 victory over Logan in a Division II regional semifinal Friday with 4 sacks and a forced fumble.
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High school football: Brookhaven's Bryant shot up just in time | The Columbus Dispatch
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