Maintaining good grades in school can be hard, and becoming a professional athlete can be even harder – being well-versed in both? That is something much harder to accomplish. 

Brandin Bryant, a former Florida Atlantic football defensive tackle and former NFL player, is now a published children’s book author who announced the release of his debut book “So, You Want to be an Athlete?” in January 2024. 

As someone who is known to give back to his community and those around him, Bryant has hosted Q&As, book signings and read-alongs for kids and parents to hear his stories. Bryant decided to return to his alma mater on Oct. 31 to host a “Book Talk” to share his journey after his professional football career.

“It’s so rewarding when you get to give a kid a book and they tell you this is the first book they’ve ever had or that they were inspired by the book,” Bryant said. “I wouldn’t say any one event means more than the other, but this one definitely does mean a lot; being asked to come back and to speak here is definitely an honor. I want to come back every time, but each one I’m so grateful for.”

While Bryant was a consistent, dominant defensive asset averaging 130 tackles and about 13 sacks in his four seasons at FAU, he was also very consistent in the classroom. 

Bryant went on to graduate from FAU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and received the “Scholar Baller” award, which is given to student-athletes with a 3.0 GPA or higher; Bryant graduated with a 3.7.

Bryant played four seasons at FAU and seven in the NFL, playing for the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins; he was picked up as a free agent by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016. 

Bryant grew up around football his whole life; his father and uncles used to play and his grandfather, Charles Bryant, was inducted into Nebraska University’s football Hall of Fame. Given these circumstances, Bryant has been able to incorporate his personal experiences with football and his childhood into his writing.

“Growing up around football, I had a lot of high expectations to live up to and my family always expected the best of me,” Bryant states. “My grandfather actually was creative; he was an artist, he was a painter, a sculptor, all these things. Seeing my grandfather in that light definitely inspired me in ways that I did not imagine.”

As his professional career was coming to a close, Bryant took up the hobby of writing and eventually published his first book earlier this year.

“The whole time I am writing, I am listening to Gucci Mane or Migos, to try and gain a flow from that standpoint,” Bryant states. “Sometimes people have to sit down and really think about what they want to write, that is not what I wanted it to be for me. So, as soon as I get the inspiration and I feel it, I sit down, lock in and make it happen.”

Upon walking into the event, library staff welcomed guests with food and refreshments. The event appeared to be a success with about 20 attendees across parents, children and FAU students.

“I wanted to pair what [Brandin] was doing with University Libraries and create an event that would showcase what he’s done in his profession and as a student and what he’s doing now in the community,” said Alexis Broussard, the community engagement coordinator for University Libraries. “Having an event that invites children, adults, kids-at-heart and adults-at-heart to an event to hear his experience and his journey to being an author and his inspiring story.” 

Bryant kicked off the event with a short introduction to his two releases: “So, you want to be an Athlete?” and “‘Can I Pet That Dog?’”, where he read both books aloud to the audience.

“‘Can I Pet That Dog?’ was designed to be a fun, silly book while also to raise awareness about bite prevention and consent,” Bryant said. “I submitted this book to 40 different publishing companies and none of them got back to me. I believe persistence is what got me to where I am today.”

Throughout the event, Bryant reflected on his time as both a collegiate and professional athlete. 

“Looking back, I would have put myself out there more to be involved in more extracurricular activities – student government, volunteer work, stuff like that,” Bryant said. “It would have helped make me more well-rounded, and that is the kind of service the NFL looks for in their players.”

Bryant also announced that he has many more pieces ready to be published. One of the books mentioned is, coincidentally, about libraries; the release date or time has not been announced.

“The book is about a kid who goes to the library by mistake and while being at the library, he actually finds out that it’s a cool place to be,” says Bryant. “These books are actually inspired by the Spanish River High School library and the Downtown Boca library, so there will be all types of shoutouts in the book. I’m really excited about that book.”

Not only has Bryant made a significant impact on children, but he has also inspired adults. They admire his hard work and dedication, as well as the impact he has made on the counties and communities around him.

“He has a passion. He loves what he does and it shows,” said Linda Golian-Lui, PhD, the dean of libraries at FAU. “He smiles, he’s genuine, he has an enthusiasm when he talks and he engages really well with the audience. He brings it with real life stories and he does that beyond measure.”

Not only has Brandin’s work ethic inspired others, but his motivation to help family and friends around him is also impactful.

“He sees the good in everything; everything’s an opportunity and a chance to be positive and learn and grow from,” said Yasmine Bryant, Brandin’s wife. “He’s always challenging people to be better, but also to be proud of what you’ve accomplished, which is really important.”

Lots of people talk about how life works in mysterious ways and Brandin’s journey with writing would not have been possible without football – which he, too, says it is crazy to think about.

“I think that the experience that I faced on the field and off the field and people that I’ve met and the stories that I’ve heard, being a football player I was able to see that I could truly do anything I put my mind to,” said Bryant. “By going to the NFL, having that confidence if I put this amount of effort in anything, not just football, I could be very successful.”

Bryant took those experiences and used them to accelerate his growth as not only a professional athlete but also a person. 

While Brandin’s career path is something truly special and out of the ordinary, he encourages athletes out there with similar aspirations to push themselves to be their best versions of themselves and that anything is possible with the right mindset. 

“I tell guys, go out there and exploit yourself; exploit yourself with everything,” Bryant said. “A recent quote that I heard was ‘exposure breeds expansion’; you want to be humble, but if you want to grow, you’ve got to let people know what you’re doing. Some people are going to be out there and they’re going to want to support. Do what you do best; put it out there.”

Angelina Martell is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email her at [email protected] or reach out on Instagram @angieemartell.