Goldsboro's Bryant, Stampeders eye Grey Cup

By Staff Reports
Published in Sports on November 25, 2012 1:52 AM

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Every little boy playing football in the backyard over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend will undoubtedly dream about making a play in a big professional game.

Stanley Bryant will get a chance to live that dream today.

Bryant, a Goldsboro High School graduate, will line up at right tackle for the Calgary Stampeders as they compete against the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup.

Bryant attended East Carolina University and became a two-year starter before graduating in 2009. Unwilling to give up his football career, Bryant made his way to the Canadian Football League and spent a year adjusting to the nuances of the game north of the border.

A starting job opened up during Bryant's second season and he jumped at the chance. He quickly grew into a productive member of the Stampeders' offensive unit. Now in his third year, Bryant gets the chance to win a Cup title today.

Calgary's offense has emerged as the model for the rest of the CFL over the past two seasons. The Stampeders' Jon Cornish is the top rusher with 1,457 yards, and has led the CFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.

Calgary quarterback Kevin Glenn is no slouch, either. Glenn is fourth in the league in passing with 4,220 yards. The Illinois State University alum has built a 12-year CFL career on consistent play and the ability to use his legs to move around in the pocket.

The Stampeders will need all the points they can muster against a Toronto team that has been red-hot during the playoffs. The Argonauts beat Edmonton in the opening round and rallied for a 27-20 upset of Montreal in the conference finals.

Toronto won both regular season-meetings with Calgary in 2012. The Stampeders and the Argonauts have met twice in the past for the Grey Cup. Calgary won the title in 1971 and Toronto won the cup in 1991.

Calgary has won seven Grey Cup titles in franchise history.

Bryant hopes the Stampeders make it eight today.