Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant claims to have mastered alligator mating call

Gamedayr | January 18, 2013 at 4:23 pm | 0 Comments

Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant (3) celebrates after the NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 30-28. (Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports)

Matt Bryant is the kicker for the Atlanta Falcons. He has hit numerous clutch field goals throughout his career, and the only reason he and his teammates are set to host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game are because he nailed the game-winner against Seattle in the second round of the playoffs.

However, while his teammates may have been lifting or game-planning or watching film, Bryant was perfecting a very different talent. Instead of worrying about the Xs and Os of a football game, Bryant was preparing to deal with alligators near his offseason home of Tampa Bay.

In fact, as he told reporters on Thursday, Bryant claims to have mastered the mating call of an alligator while watching the National Geographic channel on day.

“I was watching the National Geographic Channel one day, and heard them mimicking the mating sound that brings an alligator. So I figured I’d try and mimic the sound. Sure enough, a baby alligator came up from a retention pond behind our Tampa home.”

Bryant has managed to have a little fun with his new found talents. Not so much on the football field, but out on the golf course.

“If I’m not having a very good round, I’ll say, ‘Hey, watch this’ and do the alligator call,” Bryant said. “I did it a couple of times at Mr. Blank’s outing. The biggest one that came up from the pond was probably between 6 and 7 feet.”

However, with great power comes great responsibility for Bryant — The Gator Whisperer.

“We were in Cancun for an event and were playing golf when we heard something thrashing in the mangroves,” he explained. ”I did the sound and, all of a sudden, the thrashing stopped. And from me to where Tony Gonzalez’s locker is (12-feet away), a saltwater croc stuck his head up. He was a 12- to 14-footer. He scared everybody, scared me. So I stopped making the sounds. I’ll talk with them now. But it’s from a distance.”

And to think, no one thinks you can learn anything from the junk they put on television these days.

TLC used to be called The Learning Channel, but now it just broadcasts Honey Boo Boo all day long — how about teaching the rest of us some Gator calls instead?

Source: USA Today