“Jimmy” Bryant is a 1959 graduate of Jackson High School, Jackson, Tennessee, where he set ten track records. In 1957 he finished seventh in the Tennessee State High School Decathlon and in 1959 finished third in the 120-yard high and 180-yard low hurdles at the Tennessee State Track Meet.
In 1959 Mr. Bryant was awarded the first full track grant-in-aid to attend Union University after turning down offers from Furman and LSU. In 1963 he earned four VSAC and District 24 track titles under head coach John Rose. Al Allen, former Union University art teacher and 1932 Olympic hurdles competitor, personally coached “Jimmy” in the hurdles. At his 1963 graduation, he was presented with the prestigious Fred DeLay Sports Award.
Mr. Bryant opened his collegiate track career with three first place wins against Mississippi College. In 1960, Jimmy was dubbed the “freshman flash” by the Jackson Sun, which quoted, “We feel that Union’s Jimmy Bryant could be one of the best in the South before he finishes his career with the Bulldogs.”
In 1962 and 1963, “Jimmy “was a member of the Tennessee Intercollegiate Athletic Conference College Division State Track Championship Teams. Over the course of his track career, he set many records including the 100 yard dash, 120 yard high hurdles, 220 yard low hurdles, high jump, broad jump, 440 yard run, the 440 and 880 yard relay and the Sprint Medley. He also threw the shotput and javelin. In 1962, he was named the VSAC Most Valuable Player. He is the all-time leading scorer in Union University track competition history scoring over 500 points during his four year history.
After his stellar track and field career, Mr. Bryant earned two Masters Degrees, the Ed.S. Degree and the Ph.D. Degree in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Georgia. He has spent thirty-two years serving in public education as a teacher, principal and as a supervisor in the DeKalb County School System. He developed and operated the first AAHPER Physical Education National Program of Excellence in thirteen states of the southeastern region.
Since his retirement in 1995, “Jimmy” has served with his wife, Lisa, as sports photo-journalists for two North Georgia newspapers.
