A former Clemson football player has found a new home in professional football.
The XFL is having its player draft today as it gets ready to re-launch in 2023 after its 2020 season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former Tiger and NFL wide receiver Martavis Bryant was one of the first names to come off the board in today’s XFL Draft, being selected by the Vegas Vipers with the fifth overall pick among offensive skill players.
The 2023 XFL season is slated to kick off on Feb. 18.
The last news regarding Bryant came back in May, when the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League announced that they had released Bryant. Bryant’s release came just a few days after he joined the Beasts, a team in the Fan Controlled Football league.
Bryant never saw any game action with the Elks after signing with the team in February. His rights were owned by the Toronto Argonauts in 2021, when he spent the season on the club’s suspended list after not reporting to training camp.
Bryant most recently played in the NFL in 2018 with the then-Oakland Raiders and was suspended indefinitely by the league that season after repeated violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Originally a fourth-round pick (118th overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bryant tallied 145 catches for 2,183 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns while playing for the Steelers and the Raiders from 2014-18.
The Calhoun Falls, S.C. native played at Clemson from 2011-13, recording 61 receptions for 1,354 yards and 13 touchdowns along with a 17-yard carry and 291 yards on 14 kickoff returns over 37 games (13 starts) in his career. As a junior in 2013, he had 42 receptions for 828 yards and seven touchdowns along with two kickoff returns for 36 yards over 13 games (11 starts).
Vegas just got some more heat. The @XFLVipers select Martavis Bryant in the first round of the #XFLDraft.
Presented by @ZipRecruiter. pic.twitter.com/d0d7L1HqnV
— XFL (@XFL2023) November 16, 2022
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
