ADA, Okla. – 2012 East Central University senior defensive end Armonty Bryant became just the fifth Tiger to be picked in the NFL Draft, as he was chosen by the Cleveland Browns as the No. 217 overall pick. Bryant was the 11th pick in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft and he became the first player from the Great American Conference drafted into the NFL.
“We are very excited for Armonty,” said head coach Tim McCarty. “It is a great validation of his talent and awesome for East Central University to have the good fortune to see a player like Armonty develop at our school.”
Armonty Bryant NFL Combine Highlights
The first ECU player to be picked in the NFL Draft was Herb Kane in 1944, who was the No. 32 pick (4th round) by the New York Giants. The next player selected in the draft was Ed Stewart, who was the 357th overall pick (14th round) by the Cleveland Browns in 1972.
In 1979, both Clifford Thrift and Mark Gastineau were drafted. Gastineau was the No. 41 overall pick (2nd round) by the New York Jets and Thrift was the No. 73 pick (3rd round) by the San Diego Chargers.
The Wichita Falls, Texas, native is the first Tiger player to earn a spot on an NFL team since Justin Brown signed a free agency contract after the 2004 season.