QB In Focus: Sam Bradford
A fine first pre-season with the Philadelphia Eagles reminded NFL fans just why Sam Bradford was once selected first overall. Gridiron takes a look at the quarterback’s story so far ahead of his defining campaign.
Born Winner
Even as a teenager Bradford had an enviable amount of natural talent and, when the Oklahoma native combined these gifts with his athletic ability, it made him the King Midas of Oklahoma City. At Putnam City North High School, Bradford was a star at basketball, golf and football and, although he averaged a double-double in the paint and developed a scratch handicap on the course, it was on the gridiron that he really shined, throwing for 2,422 yards and 19 TDs in just 12 games during his senior year. Having been dwarfed by a stellar recruiting class that included high-school stars like Tim Tebow and Matt Stafford, Bradford chose to stay in-state and accepted a scholarship at the Big 12 powerhouse, the University of Oklahoma.
Hometown Hero
Bradford won the starting job in 2007 and immediately began to rewrite the record books, setting a new NCAA mark for freshman passing touchdowns with 36 and leading the Sooners to a Big 12 Championship. In 2008, Bradford’s side toppled the record for most points in a season with 702 as he threw for 50 touchdowns en route to a #1 BCS ranking and subsequent National Championship game appearance. Individual awards soon followed as he became the third player from Oklahoma, and first of Native American descent, to win the Heisman Trophy. Despite a projected first-round grade, Bradford opted to stay in school – a decision that seemed costly after a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder the following October. However, he subsequently declared for the 2010 NFL Draft, where the St. Louis Rams were waiting with the first overall pick.
Offensive Rookie Of The Year
Being picked in the final year before the adjusted Rookie Salary Cap meant Bradford received a $78 million deal, $50 million of which was guaranteed. He looked set to be worth every penny in year one, snaffling the NFL Rookie of the Year award. Bradford set NFL records for completions by a rookie with 356, doing so on 60% of his attempts and gaining 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns in the air. The Rams finished 7-9, a huge improvement on their 1-15 performance the year before and good for second in the then-weak NFC West as they narrowly missed out on a playoff spot due to a tiebreaker with the Seattle Seahawks.
AC-Hell
The dreaded Sophomore Slump hit Bradford hard in 2011. A nagging leg injury meant the second-year man started just 10 games, during which he was responsible for 13 turnovers and only managed to get into the end zone six times as the Rams limped to 2-14. His tumultuous fortunes swung upwards in 2012, with Bradford enjoying an injury-free campaign and bettering his rookie totals when delivering 21 touchdowns and throwing for 3,500 yards for the second time in his career. However, a year later, the yoyo-esque Bradford broke St. Louis hearts once again when he tore his ACL in Week 7 of the 2013 season after a promising start.
AC-Hell Part II
Desperate to prove himself worthy of his initial draft status, a healthy Bradford was determined to bounce back in 2014. However, his hopes were shattered as he tore an ACL for the second successive season under a hit from Armonty Bryant in pre-season. As such, the question now is whether the Rams will continue to show such faith in someone whose play and dreadful injury history do not really warrant it. However, fans across the league will surely be hoping that one of NFL’s unluckiest quarterbacks can finally stay injury-free as he tries to resurrect his career following a trade to Philadelphia, who sent Nick Foles, this year’s fourth-round pick and next year’s second-round selection for Bradford and the Rams’ 2015 fifth-round choice.
This is an edited version of an article that appeared in Issue VII of Gridiron Magazine. To subscribe to the magazine, and enter the draw to win a trip to the AFC or NFC Championship Game, click here.