Bobby Bryant

Bobby Bryant (born January 24, 1944) is an American former professional football player who played cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

At Willingham High School, Bryant starred in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. He was recruited to the University of South Carolina by Weems Baskin in 1963. Baskin served as both track coach and a football assistant, and Bryant—nicknamed "Bones" for his lanky frame—ended up playing both baseball and football, earning a letter for three years in each sport. He was awarded the ACC Athlete of the Year in 1967, becoming the first and only athlete from South Carolina to win the award, as well as the first Gamecock to strike out 100 batters in a season. As a pitcher for the Gamecocks, Bryant was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft in both his junior and senior seasons, by the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox respectively, but he chose to play with the Vikings when they drafted him.