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Gwen Knapp
Sunday, June 4, 2006
Let's start with this simple theory about wide receivers. Blocking is a character issue.
Antonio Bryant, the combustible new personality on the 49ers' payroll, says he loves that part of his job. He and fellow receiver Arnaz Battle have placed bets on who will deliver the best blocks each week this season. The winner will get a small prize, "car washes and stuff like that."
"We know how to keep track," Bryant said after a practice at the 49ers' complex Friday. "The film never lies."
Already, he is a big step ahead of Brandon Lloyd, whom the 49ers traded to Washington. Lloyd's new employers will soon discover that they have a No. 3 receiver who thinks he is a No. 1, who delivers one sensational play every game or so and does very little else. He was the offensive twin of Phillip Buchanon, the former Raiders' cornerback who made flashy interceptions but couldn't tackle or contain anyone.
Bryant wasn't the ideal replacement for Lloyd, not with Antwaan Randle El and Joe Jurevicius available in the same free-agency pool. But the 49ers have upgraded substantially, and if Bryant follows through on his promises of even-tempered maturity, the team will have its first real game-breaking threat since Terrell Owens left San Francisco.
That "if" could be one of the great dramas of the season.
The 49ers say they did their homework on Bryant and that past coaches have vouched for him. Bryant insists that he has learned to set aside the frustrations of football before they become explosive.
"I try to live my life drama-free," he said.
That may be impossible. Bryant's intensity is palpable. On the practice field Friday, he fidgeted frequently between plays, his energy overflowing. In an interview afterward, he was both cerebral and emotional, often expressing himself in metaphors and aphorisms. (His position coach in college, recognizing Bryant's fondness for witty sayings, once gave him a book of quips and quotes.)
"I've always been a big believer in 'undersell and over-deliver,' " he said when asked what he expected of this season.
"Humility comes before honor," he said when trying to explain what his infamous blow-up with Bill Parcells had taught him.
When he threw a practice jersey at Parcells during a Cowboys' preseason practice in 2004, Bryant badly damaged his image in the NFL. He had never been easy on coaches, but a lot of receivers have a wide neurotic streak. Taking on Parcells, one of the most respected and feared coaches in the modern NFL, put Bryant in a new category of head cases.
He had to attend anger-management classes, and the Cowboys eventually shipped him off to Cleveland, which kept him for two seasons. With their four-year, $15 million contract offer, the 49ers became Bryant's third team in five seasons as a pro and appeared to be taking a big gamble with the morale of a young team.
But face to face, Bryant makes a good case for himself. He says he understands that younger players are watching him and that he has a responsibility to set a good example. He expects to speak to Parcells when the 49ers play Dallas in a preseason game Aug. 26, and Bryant plans to tell his former coach: "Thank you."
"And that's with a lot of humility," Bryant said, "because in some sense, it helped me."
If that sounds like an easy way to gloss over the incident with the media, consider that Bryant didn't opt for bland, rehearsed answers when asked about:
-- Celebrating touchdowns: "Once you know you've gained an audience, you do it for the crowd."
-- Lobbying for the ball: He understands the "ball has to be moved around," but he also believes that wanting the ball in the clutch is the sign of a winner. "There are a lot of guys who won't do it because they're afraid to fail."
-- The meaning of his many tattoos: One of them, high up on his right shoulder, is a picture of a gorilla. "That says 'untamed gorilla' ... It's kind of like, how can I explain this? That's the beast side of me. When it's on the line, that's what it's all about. Not being able to be tamed."
Bryant did give one reply that could have been shaped by the opinion of others. "I want to be more consistent," he said, when asked what part of his game he most wanted to improve. In Cleveland, Bryant took a lot of heat for letting his focus wander and dropping passes.
The 49ers' offensive anemia of last season should motivate Bryant. He can be more important in San Francisco than he has ever been as a pro, turning around an awful team, helping a No. 1 draft pick establish himself as a quarterback in the NFL.
Right now, everything looks promising. No one has lost a game yet. No one has fumbled on 3rd-and-goal or thrown a pass at a receiver's feet. Bryant's promises of new wisdom won't mean much until the season starts. Then the Niners' bet on him will really be on the table. Only he can replace it with a better wager -- over downfield blocks and car washes.
Sunday, June 4, 2006
Let's start with this simple theory about wide receivers. Blocking is a character issue.
Antonio Bryant, the combustible new personality on the 49ers' payroll, says he loves that part of his job. He and fellow receiver Arnaz Battle have placed bets on who will deliver the best blocks each week this season. The winner will get a small prize, "car washes and stuff like that."
"We know how to keep track," Bryant said after a practice at the 49ers' complex Friday. "The film never lies."
Already, he is a big step ahead of Brandon Lloyd, whom the 49ers traded to Washington. Lloyd's new employers will soon discover that they have a No. 3 receiver who thinks he is a No. 1, who delivers one sensational play every game or so and does very little else. He was the offensive twin of Phillip Buchanon, the former Raiders' cornerback who made flashy interceptions but couldn't tackle or contain anyone.
Bryant wasn't the ideal replacement for Lloyd, not with Antwaan Randle El and Joe Jurevicius available in the same free-agency pool. But the 49ers have upgraded substantially, and if Bryant follows through on his promises of even-tempered maturity, the team will have its first real game-breaking threat since Terrell Owens left San Francisco.
That "if" could be one of the great dramas of the season.
The 49ers say they did their homework on Bryant and that past coaches have vouched for him. Bryant insists that he has learned to set aside the frustrations of football before they become explosive.
"I try to live my life drama-free," he said.
That may be impossible. Bryant's intensity is palpable. On the practice field Friday, he fidgeted frequently between plays, his energy overflowing. In an interview afterward, he was both cerebral and emotional, often expressing himself in metaphors and aphorisms. (His position coach in college, recognizing Bryant's fondness for witty sayings, once gave him a book of quips and quotes.)
"I've always been a big believer in 'undersell and over-deliver,' " he said when asked what he expected of this season.
"Humility comes before honor," he said when trying to explain what his infamous blow-up with Bill Parcells had taught him.
When he threw a practice jersey at Parcells during a Cowboys' preseason practice in 2004, Bryant badly damaged his image in the NFL. He had never been easy on coaches, but a lot of receivers have a wide neurotic streak. Taking on Parcells, one of the most respected and feared coaches in the modern NFL, put Bryant in a new category of head cases.
He had to attend anger-management classes, and the Cowboys eventually shipped him off to Cleveland, which kept him for two seasons. With their four-year, $15 million contract offer, the 49ers became Bryant's third team in five seasons as a pro and appeared to be taking a big gamble with the morale of a young team.
But face to face, Bryant makes a good case for himself. He says he understands that younger players are watching him and that he has a responsibility to set a good example. He expects to speak to Parcells when the 49ers play Dallas in a preseason game Aug. 26, and Bryant plans to tell his former coach: "Thank you."
"And that's with a lot of humility," Bryant said, "because in some sense, it helped me."
If that sounds like an easy way to gloss over the incident with the media, consider that Bryant didn't opt for bland, rehearsed answers when asked about:
-- Celebrating touchdowns: "Once you know you've gained an audience, you do it for the crowd."
-- Lobbying for the ball: He understands the "ball has to be moved around," but he also believes that wanting the ball in the clutch is the sign of a winner. "There are a lot of guys who won't do it because they're afraid to fail."
-- The meaning of his many tattoos: One of them, high up on his right shoulder, is a picture of a gorilla. "That says 'untamed gorilla' ... It's kind of like, how can I explain this? That's the beast side of me. When it's on the line, that's what it's all about. Not being able to be tamed."
Bryant did give one reply that could have been shaped by the opinion of others. "I want to be more consistent," he said, when asked what part of his game he most wanted to improve. In Cleveland, Bryant took a lot of heat for letting his focus wander and dropping passes.
The 49ers' offensive anemia of last season should motivate Bryant. He can be more important in San Francisco than he has ever been as a pro, turning around an awful team, helping a No. 1 draft pick establish himself as a quarterback in the NFL.
Right now, everything looks promising. No one has lost a game yet. No one has fumbled on 3rd-and-goal or thrown a pass at a receiver's feet. Bryant's promises of new wisdom won't mean much until the season starts. Then the Niners' bet on him will really be on the table. Only he can replace it with a better wager -- over downfield blocks and car washes.
hno:
