Antonio Bryant Earns All-America Honors
11/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Antonio Bryant Earns All-America Honors
11/21/2000
PITTSBURGH - University of Pittsburgh sophomore receiver Antonio Bryant has been named to the Football Writers Association of America's (FWAA) 25-player All-America Team, it has been announced.
Bryant is Pittsburgh's first All-American since Ruben Brown, now a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills, earned national honors in 1994.
The FWAA has announced an All-America team since the 1944 season. It is the second longest continuously published team in major-college football.
Bryant (Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern) is the nation's leading receiver with an average of 128.2 yards per game. He was recently named one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, annually presented to the nation's outstanding collegiate receiver.
Bryant has established himself as one of the elite offensive weapons in the country this season. His 1,154 receiving yards set a Big East record, surpassing the previous mark of 1,131 set by Marvin Harrison (Syracuse) in 1995. Bryant's receiving yardage total ranks fifth in the country, while his 6.89 receptions per game (62 total) ranks seventh.
He has five triple-digit receiving yardage games this year, including 200-yard performances versus Boston College (222) and North Carolina (212).
In Pittsburgh's 7-0 victory over Temple this past Saturday, Bryant scored the game's lone touchdown on a 15-yard pass from David Priestley. The win assured the Panthers of a winning regular season and bowl eligibility. Bryant has a Big East-best 10 touchdown catches this season and is only three short of the conference record set by former Panther Terry Murphy, who had 13 in 1997.
Pittsburgh (6-4 overall, 3-3 Big East) hosts West Virginia (6-4 overall, 3-3 Big East) this Friday, Nov. 24, at Three Rivers Stadium in the 93rd "Backyard Brawl." Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.