While the Pittsburgh Steelers were busy Thursday afternoon reporting to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe for the start of training camp, suspended wide receiver Martavis Bryant is reportedly preparing himself to report to a yet to be named high school in Nevada.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Bryant, who will miss the entire 2016 season due to him once again violating the league’s substance abuse policy, will spend the year in Henderson, Nevada, training and volunteering with a high school football team. Henderson, in case you didn’t know, is on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
“He’s as focused as I’ve seen him in a while,” Santanello said, according to Fowler’s report. “He’s keeping very busy. He enjoys working with kids.”
According to Bryant’s agent, Thomas Santanello, the Steelers former fourth-round draft pick out of Clemson will help coach high school receivers while in Nevada in addition to training five days a week at Van Hook Sports Performance.
“He’s doing great,” Bryant’s other agent Brian Fettner said earlier this week, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “He’s taking everything seriously and living with his trainer, half a mile from his agent, surrounded by the right people. He’s heartbroken that he’s not allowed to play, but we are where we are and he’s focused to not let it happen again.”
Bryant has a long road to travel in order to get himself reinstated by the league, which could ultimately happen around this same time next year along as he keeps himself clean and out of trouble. At least he has recent evidence that it’s worth him walking a straight and narrow path over the course of the next year.
Earlier this week, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was reinstated on a conditional basis from his indefinite suspension for multiple drug violations by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. He will, however, be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. Gordon was previously suspended two games in 2013, 10 games in 2014 and for the entire 2015 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
One tiny slip by Bryant will likely result in his suspension being extended, so it’s very important that he keeps himself surrounded by people that have his best interest in mind.
