LATROBE, Pa. – The differences are apparent. And I am not just talking about on the field. You can see the growth in Martavis Bryant from a year ago. You can see the maturity, the confidence, and even a different player physically.
They are the type of changes coaches want to see from a player in his second year. And offensive coordinator Todd Haley likes it.
"He is doing a good job," said Haley. "He is much further ahead of where he was last year at this time, as he should be. He is working hard. He knows a lot more of what to do.
"He is more comfortable in general. He has a year under his belt. He is playing faster and using his skill."
Bryant too is pleased with his progress, knowing the more he moves forward in a positive manner, the happier it will keep Haley.
"The key is to keep him as quiet as possible and to keep him believing in me," said Bryant. "I want him to know I have his back, and he has mine. As long as we continue to keep working hard with each other, continue to develop the chemistry, we will be fine.
"Confidence takes you a long way. It's all about developing that trust and knowing you are going to go out and execute the game plan and do the things they want you to do, the right way. As long as I show him I want to be the best player I can be and continue to work hard, I will be fine."
Bryant finished his rookie season with 26 receptions for 549 yards and eight touchdowns. But he wants more in his second season.
"I want to be more physical than last year," said Bryant. "This year I want to make sure I am dominant in everything I do. I am going with that mindset, like Antonio Brown. No matter who is in front of us, who is guarding us, we are going to give our best efforts to do what we have to do to get the job done."
