| No. 77 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 20, 1962 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | July 25, 2009 (aged 47) Coweta, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Coweta (OK) | ||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1984 / round: 1 / pick: 9 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Rick Don Bryan (March 20, 1962 – July 25, 2009) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Bryan played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, and received All-American honors. He ranked fifth on Sports Illustrated 2021 all-time “Top 10 Sooners Defensive Line” list.[1] In another Sports Illustrated article titled “Greatest College Football Players by Jersey Number,” Bryan was mentioned as being the all-time greatest player of those who have ever wore college jersey number “80.” (WR Anthony Carter from University of Michigan was on the list for wearing jersey number “1.” DE Hugh Green from University of Pittsburgh was on the list for wearing jersey number “99.”)[2] The Bleacher Report also stated in an article that Bryan was the best-ever college football player who wore jersey number “80.”[3] Bryan was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.[4]
Bryan’s younger brother Steve Bryan also played for the Sooners and also played in the NFL. An article in The Oklahoman stated that Steve was an “All-Big Eight defensive lineman who helped the Sooners win the 1985 national championship before playing two seasons for the Denver Broncos.”[5] Rick and Steve’s older brother Mitch didn’t play in the NFL, but did also play college football for the Sooners.[6]