Adam Gagnon
When Ricky Ray found Romby Bryant for a 31-yard touchdown pass in last Thursday night’s game to put Toronto on the board first against Winnipeg, it looked easy and systemic.
Of course, that’s what Ray does. Bryant knew that when he signed with the Argonauts as a free agent, shortly after his release from the Calgary Stampeders earlier in 2013.
“I’m pretty sure everyone wants to play with Ricky Ray,” Bryant said.
His name was first on the depth chart a day earlier at Argos practice, just the second time this season he’d take the field.
“It felt good to be back out there, but I was tired,” he said. “I haven’t played a game in 18 or 19 weeks. Coming off breaking five ribs, it was pretty tough.”
Bryant joked that he could officially call himself an Argo after his first reception in Week 16.
“Pre-season and practice counts…I mean, I’m an Argo, but now I’m really an Argo.”
For someone who played a big role in Calgary’s Grey Cup run in 2012, the 33-year old was only concerned about cracking the roster stacked with receiving talent in the East when he signed with the Argos.
“I’m used to being on teams where you’ve got the big name guys. I stay even-keeled and under the radar. That’s how I am,” Bryant said. “People tell me all the time I should put my name out there more, but I just let my play do that. I don’t do much talking, if you’ve noticed.”
It’s noted. If you’re lucky, Bryant will engage in conversation about his hometown of Oklahoma City, the Thunder and the Thunder’s Kevin Durant starting verbal spats with Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
Bryant started his professional career in the NFL in 2004 with the Arizona Cardinals. By his fourth season, he’d already been a member of the Atlanta Falcons and the Baltimore Ravens. He had a different offensive coordinator each of his four college years at Tulsa and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
Diving into Toronto’s playbook is another thing that Bryant has learned to do well, backed by years of adaptations.
“I learned [early on] that you can’t worry about what the coaches are going to do. You can only worry about what you can handle and control what you can control,” he said. “I notice with a lot of young guys, they worry about who’s up this week, who’s playing this week and how this guy’s playing. They don’t need to be worrying about that. They need to be worrying about what they’re doing.”
When Bryant landed on the nine-game IR before Week 1, that’s exactly what he did. He practiced patience, sitting on the sideline until Week 16.
“Being a vet, and being around this business helped me with that. I can’t worry about getting on the field and being a cancer to the team [by] showing up with attitude. This is a long season, I knew I’d get my chance.”
Most surprisingly, Bryant doesn’t show the stress of moving from league-to-league, or from west-to-east, he’s the ultimate professional.
“I got a lot of stress, I just don’t like to show it. I got a little frustrated not playing, but that’s anybody. Anybody who plays a professional sport, when you’re not playing you’re going to get frustrated.”
Ray found Bryant for six more receptions, two for touchdowns. He posted 80 receiving yards in his second game in the double blue. With the bread in the basket, it sounds like he is indeed an Argo.
