Bryant Fills In on Football's Injured Defense

When the ACC came running, Desmond Bryant stuffed it like a draw play up the middle. The freshman from Elizabethtown, N.C. sidestepped both Duke’s offer as well as interest from Wake Forest, UNC and NC State to test out the greener—if smaller—pastures of the Ivy League.

The Harvard football coaching staff is more than happy with the decision.

After foregoing the national stage afforded by the ACC, Bryant has found a home in Harvard Yard and on the gridiron, where he has become a starting defensive end in the first half of his rookie season. Bryant has plugged up several holes for the Crimson defense, both in stopping the run and in filling a void left by several defensive injuries.

The injury bug first struck junior DE Eric Grimm, who missed two games with a strained MCL. Before Grimm had fully recovered, sophomore defensive tackle Michael Berg went down with a partially fractured ankle. And with senior DT Coesen Ngwun also out with a separated shoulder, defensive coordinator Kevin Doherty was left with a decimated line.

Enter the 6’6, 245-lb. Bryant, and now the defensive line no longer had any holes to fill. The youngster’s physical presence has become an invaluable asset to the Harvard defense.

And he’s just getting started.

“First of all, the kid’s huge. He’s a giant—he has maybe the biggest hands I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” senior linebacker Bobby Everett said. “From the first day he stood out as somebody who could possibly make an impact. He’s been working to understand the defense and discover where he fits in as a player in our setup. He’s improving every day, and there’s no way he’s even near his potential yet.”

The thought of that potential remains scary for opposing offenses, as Bryant has already recorded a sack and seven tackles just five games into his college career despite seeing minimal action in his first few games. In last weekend’s game against Northeastern, Bryant emerged as a bonafide threat, recovering a fumble that led to a Crimson field goal.

But while the success he’s had of late bodes well for the rest of the season, the first few weeks on the turf were a challenge for the former three-year All-Conference player. Bryant came to Harvard from a small high school, accustomed to winning without complex play calling and tricky defensive maneuvers.

He ran into the Crimson’s playbook, one that contains three different packages—up to 16 different combinations—and requires memorization and repetition. Bryant also had to adjust to the increased speed and athleticism of the college game. Compound that introduction with a slew of injuries to veteran players, and it’s enough to overwhelm any true freshman—no matter his wingspan.

“At the beginning of the season, I had no confidence on the field and didn’t know what the plays were,” Bryant said. “I didn’t know where I was supposed to be or what I was supposed to do, but over time I’ve developed confidence in my abilities on the field.”

The confidence has come slowly, but the results have been immediately apparent. Harvard has a potential four-year starter at defensive end, one who spent the summer doing daily two-hour running and lifting workouts and has made the Crimson weight room a second home. His intensity caught the attention of the Harvard coaches, who were thrilled to find a work ethic that matched his size.

“He did come in with some very natural tools, but he’s got skills, toughness and a great work ethic—those are three things that make a very good football player,” Doherty said.

The freshman might have chosen a smaller venue in Harvard Stadium, but he’s come in at just the right time for the Crimson. An underrated defense made its presence felt against Northeastern, and Bryant will be integral in moving the Harvard defensive unit out from the shadow of the lethal Crimson offense.

He has three-and-a-half years to do it, but as with his offseason training regimen, Bryant has started early. And while impressed, his coaches are certainly not surprised.

“Somebody who was that well-recruited,” Doherty said, “we expect to be an impact player for us. With a recruit like that, it’s a hit or miss thing: you either strike gold or fall short.”

And Harvard’s happy to be a gold-digger when it comes to Bryant, especially at the expense of the ACC.