Martavis Bryant was a big-play threat as a rookie, but the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver knows he needs to become more than that.
Teresa Varley of the team’s official site writes Bryant wants to emulate a superstar teammate in every facet of the game. Bryant said:
“I want to be more physical than last year. This year I want to make sure I am dominant in everything I do. I am going with that mindset, like Antonio Brown. No matter who is in front of us, who is guarding us, we are going to give our best efforts to do what we have to do to get the job done.”
In 2014, Bryant missed six games due to a shoulder injury and unspecified illness. The speedster exploded for six touchdowns through his first four appearances, including a 143-yard performance against the New York Jets. Bryant cooled off after that strong day, managing 12 catches and 239 yards over the next six outings.
Despite the average conclusion to his rookie campaign, Bryant has received a tremendous amount of hype moving into the 2015 season. Nevertheless, the Clemson product is widely expected to have a breakout year, but he’s still competing with Markus Wheaton for the No. 2 receiver spot.
Bryant has proved he’s Pittsburgh’s best downfield option for Ben Roethlisberger, the 6-foot-4, 211-pound target has the frame to establish himself as a dominant pass-catcher all over the field.
Now, it’s up to Bryant to reach his goal of becoming that type of receiver, not just talk about it.