Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant looking forward to Super Bowl chance
Thursday 2 February 2017 11:50, UK
Matt Bryant could not be happier to get his chance at Super Bowl glory, even though he has had to wait until the age of 41 to get his chance to win an NFL championship ring.
The Atlanta Falcons kicker spent his formative professional years in Arena Football and NFL Europe - playing for the Berlin Thunder and Frankfurt Galaxy - before getting a brief NFL opening in 2004 with the New York Giants.
Bryant bounced around the league for a number of years before landing in Atlanta in 2009 and says he will take plenty of life lessons into Sunday's Super Bowl LI clash with the New England Patriots.
And he seemingly has no plans to call time on his career just yet thanks to a quieter training regime that he says has actually boosted his kicking distance.
"Coming out of college, it took me four years to get a shot in the NFL. I've done my best to get my foot in the door and I want to keep my foot in the door," Bryant said.
"All I'm worried about is doing good today so they let me come back tomorrow.
"My mindset has always been to not be comfortable. And that's worked for 15 years.
"If I knew the magic answer I could bottle it up and sell it. But I would just say the determination to succeed, and just to do the best I can.
"As I've gotten older, I've tried to tone it down a bit and not overdo it. When I was younger, earlier in my career, I tended to lift a whole bunch, but I'm actually kicking stronger and further now at 41 than I was at 26 or 28."
As for Sunday's game in Houston, Bryant says his preparations will be no different, even down to blocking out thinking about having to kick a Super Bowl-winning field goal or extra point.
He added: "I can't say that I ever have [thought about it]. As a kid, I was imagining catching a pass from Joe Montana.
"It could happen on Sunday. And if it does I'm going to step up and do what I've always done."
