Former Rams Running Back Cullen Bryant Dies: Cullen Bryant, the best running back in NFL history named for a poet, has died at age 58 in Colorado Springs, Colo. During his 11-year NFL career, Bryant gained 3,264 yards for the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, scoring a touchdown in the 1980 Super Bowl.
Well, someone ought to say something about this guy before the post fades away. He helped put the "ground" in "Ground Chuck" - to the point where maybe he made Coach Knox a bit too fond of those short yardage power runs.
The thing I remember best is him standing at the goal line waiting to receive a kickoff. I looked at him and thought: "What is a guy that size doing returning kickoffs?" He was a tank. Not all that tall, but big and totally rock solid.
posted by beaverboard at 11:47 AM on October 18, 2009