Still Curtain
FanSided

Steelers: an open letter to Martavis Bryant

By Josh Fitzer

Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (10) celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (10) celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Martavis, you are a mountain of potential. Steelers Nation doesn’t want to see you waste it.

Martavis Bryant,

I don’t want this to be filled with a bunch of things you’ve already heard a million times. My hope for this is to convey to you how Steelers Nation feels about you. Maybe not all of them, but a majority of them. Humanity is not perfect, all of us struggle, in one way or another, including myself. And everybody’s struggle is different. Please understand that I’m coming from a place of understanding, grace, and patience.

When I got the alert on my phone that you were going to be suspended next season, I was disappointed. I put my phone down and said “Come on, man. Why?” I then took to Twitter to see what other Steelers fans were saying, most of them felt the exact same way. We were disappointed.

We were disappointed because we saw the kind of season you had in 2014, we saw how dangerous you can be to opposing defenses. But more than just football, we hate to see one of our own struggle. Obviously, you’re entire life isn’t lived on the gridiron. You hear things besides the sound of a whistle, you see things besides a sea of Terrible Towels waving, you feel things besides catching your first NFL touchdown against the Texans, which, by the way, was excellent.

I said all that to say this: Steelers Nation wants to see you succeed in life, whether it’s football or something else. Trust me, us Steelers fans want to see you back and continue to hurt opposing defenses.

Steelers Nation is with you, Martavis.