[tps_title]Paul Bryant, Jr., Chairman, Bryant Bank[/tps_title]

From 100 miles northwest of the State Capitol, Bryant maintains unrivaled influence as an informal advisor to Gov. Bentley. He has been with the dermatologist-turned-lawmaker from the time he was the ultimate long-shot gubernatorial candidate, to the day he was sworn in, all the way to the present.

In addition to his political horsepower, he’s also one of the most successful businessmen in the state as the chairman of Bryant Bank and President of Greene Group, Inc., a private holding company.

His name has been in the news a lot lately because of his longtime role on the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. Whether he exercises outsized influence over the Board or not, it is a true sign of his power that the rumor mill automatically assumes he’s bending the world to his will.

He’s proven himself to be an able protector of his father’s legacy.