Lorenzo Bryant is a former Division I football player at The University of Rhode Island. Lorenzo also completed his final year of eligibility at James Madison University. Prior to his college career, Lorenzo caught the eye of many college programs nationwide as the #1 running back in New Jersey according to the N.J McCarthy Report. Lorenzo was recruited to Rhode Island as a linebacker, where he started at this position for one year before making a move to running back, where he then started the next three years at that position. He captained the team from 2019-2020, averaged 5 yards per carry, 6 yards per catch, 600 yards, and six touchdowns in 7 games. Not only is he an elite athlete, but he has also found immense success in the classroom as a Criminology and Communications double major, receiving the “Most Standout on the Field and in the Classroom” award and the RI Governor's award for “Most Outstanding Academic Athlete – Football.” 

1. How many colleges were you looking at, and what was the deciding factor on you playing for URI?

During my recruitment, I endured a wide range of college coaches who attempted to add me to their programs: Ivy, CAA, HBCU, and Power Five. With all of these schools interested, I only had my eye seriously on three: Towson, Rutgers, and Rhode Island. 

2. How did you get on coaches' radars?

There are many ways to get on a coach's radar, but ultimately you have to perform well and separate yourself from everyone else. I didn't have the most knowledge of the recruitment process because I am the first in my family to go to college. Luckily, my high school coach was determined to make sure I played at the next level, so he emailed coaches religiously and always sent out my game by game stats. 

3. What is the best piece of advice that you can give to athletes who are trying to get on a coach's radar, where can they get noticed? 

Aside from playing lights out, if you can, go to where the best football is. The higher the level of competition, the more the coaches that will be in attendance. Go to where the football culture and tradition is second to none because college coaches like to know they are getting a kid who is brought up in a good system. This shows next level coaches that this kid knows what it means and takes to win. Another piece of advice is to stay persistent with contacting coaches. If a coach is in touch with you, make sure you take the time to check in and see what they are thinking or plan moving forward. It shows you care and are eager to play at the next level. If you aren't in contact with any coach, in particular, don't get discouraged, just keep doing what you are doing, stay informed and persistent.

4. If you could go back and do your recruiting process all over again, what would you change, if anything?

If I were to change anything, I would make sure I would go to more camps. Camps are an excellent way to showcase your talents to coaches in person. Camps are good also if your team isn't too good, you can easily get overlooked by recruiters. I would also show more effort and give more input. As a 17-year-old arrogant kid with no guidance, I assumed everyone wanted me because I was so talented, but that's not how things work. You have to show you are interested and make yourself accessible because there are thousands of other people out there who also want to play in college. Having a lackluster attitude and using minimal effort during the process will get you nowhere. 

5. What two key attributes make a great team player in college? 

The two attributes that make a great team player are selflessness and communication. Selflessness is a key attribute because when teams don't think about who gets the credit, they go further than any other team. When players act selflessly, they understand sacrificing what they personally believe and or want to do isn't for the greater good of the team. This team-first attitude makes a great team player. Communication is a given but is entirely overlooked. Being able to communicate properly with another teammate who is upset, confused, or angry is such a good quality to have. People usually lash out on teams when they have bad communication, and things progressively get worse, but if you know how to communicate with your teammates to address the issue and fix it immediately, then you will grow together, as well as better understand each other for next time.

6. What advice can you give to high school athletes as far as how they carry themselves throughout this process?

To make a long story short, do not give college coaches any reason to doubt your character. Make sure your grades are in order, have no criminal record, and show them that you are coachable. Coaches have enough to think about as is, try your best not to be a headache for them.

7. High school athletes are continually asking us if they can walk on to a DI sport. Is it possible for a high school athlete to become a walk-on for URI football?

Yes, a high school player can walk onto the URI football team without a doubt. It is hard work, but it is attainable. Some of our key players from previous seasons started as walk-ons and ended up being starters.

8. As far as official visits are concerned about what would be a do and don't for an athlete?

A major do for an athlete while on an official visit is to ask as many questions as possible and be completely honest throughout your time on campus, don't hold back. A don't would be to not portray yourself professionally. Think of it as a job interview. 

9. Do your coaches look at their player's social media? 

YES! Our coaches secretly snoop on all of our players' social media. Some of our coaches even follow us on social media. The ultimate reason for this is to protect us and the program; we represent the university and the team, not just ourselves.

10. What advice can you give to high school athletes about how they can use social media when being recruited?

Make sure to put your highlight link in your bio. If you have friends that play at big programs, ask them to share your highlights and page with the coaches. You can also reach out to talk to coaches on twitter.

11. What advice can you give to athletes battling injuries and then returning to their sport?

My most significant piece of advice is to keep going and don't get discouraged; the world isn't going to stop because you can't play. Keep grinding because it will get better over time, and use this setback as motivation.

12. What is the best piece of advice that a coach has given you, and who was that coach?

I have two quotes from the same coach; it was my former defensive back coach. He said, “Great players aren't just great at football, they are great at everything they do. It is a way of life, not just a one-time thing.” And the second one, “If you can control the six inches between your ears, then you can be the greatest player the University of Rhode Island has ever seen.” That advice still sticks with me to this day; I'm still working on both.

13. What is the craziest thing you saw a parent do during a game?

In college, I saw two different sets of parents on the same team fight. In youth football, I've seen the opposite team's parents fight because one went up to a child as he was crying and screamed you suck then laughed in his face.