It took Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant all of one series in his first game in three weeks to remind people of the impact he can have on this KU defense.
Back from a severe ankle sprain for the first time since the final seconds of the first half of KU’s loss at Oklahoma on Oct. 15, Bryant picked up his third interception of the season on arguably the best catch of his life to spark the Jayhawks’ 37-16 win over 18th-ranked Oklahoma State.
The win made Kansas bowl eligible for the first time in 14 years, and the interception made both Bryant and head coach Lance Leipold lean to the emotional side of things when reflecting on it after the victory.
“I was so happy for him (and) proud of him,” Leipold said after the win. “The thing I’m most proud of is how much work he put in to get healthy and his determination to be on the field and want to be on the field and be connected.”
Through Bryant’s attitude in practice, his persistence in the training room and his support of his teammates while he was out, Leipold saw a side of Bryant that he didn’t fully know existed. Sure, he knew he loved football. But finding out how much he loved it was a bit of a revelation.
“There was an extra drive about how important this is to him,” Leipold said, noting that Bryant asked specifically to travel with the team to Baylor even though he knew he would not play.
With KU’s bye week coming after the Baylor loss, Bryant had an extra week to heal up and get back on the field. He said Saturday that he knew he would be back all along. His drive and desire to make it back as quickly as possible was all about this team, though.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘I’ve got to get back to my team because I know I (make) a big impact on my team,'” Bryant said after Saturday’s win. “This just means so much to me.”
It wasn’t until a recent practice and a little test from the head coach that Bryant knew for sure that he would, in fact, be back out there for Saturday’s game against the Cowboys.
“At practice, he said run to him,” Bryant said of Leipold’s test. “So, I was running to him and he said, ‘Now you’re feeling good. I see.'”
That was just the start. On third-and-six for the Cowboys, inside KU territory, on the game’s opening drive, Bryant officially made it all the way back. His diving interception near the KU sideline not only ended the OSU drive, but it set the tone for the whole day that wound up being one big Kansas celebration from the start well beyond the finish.
The funny thing about the pick, however, was that Bryant was one of the last Jayhawks to know he got it.
“When I caught it, I didn’t realize I caught it,” he said. “Everybody just started jumping, and I was like, ‘Dang, I caught it.’ Just me keeping my feet in, I was like, ‘Wow. That’s crazy.'”
Bryant, who now has three interceptions on the season, said he had faith that he would be effective when he got back on the field. But he wasn’t sure how long it would take to get to that point in his first game since the injury. That opening-drive interception was all he needed to be convinced that the wait would be short-lived.
“It came real fast,” Bryant said. “When I got the pick, I was like, ‘Mama’s back now.’ So, I’m feeling myself, and I started getting comfortable and feeling normal again.”
Like his teammates, Bryant was overwhelmed with joy and emotion after KU’s sixth win of the season on Saturday. But, for him, it was about more than just being back on the field.
“It just felt good to be back,” he said. “I love KU, man. It’s crazy. It just means a lot to me. These boys are my brothers. To see the seniors just smile, it made me feel good. It means a lot to me.”
As for what’s next, now that the Jayhawks are going bowling but still have three games to go in the regular season, Bryant, like many of his teammates, said the job would remain the same.
“To keep building,” he said. “We’re just coming together even stronger. We’re not satisfied.”