Sam Bradford

Infobox NCAA Athlete
name = Sam Bradford

---

caption =
college = Oklahoma
conference = Big 12
sport = Football
jersey = 14
position = Quarterback
class = Redshirt Sophomore
major = Business
minor =
nickname =
career_start = 2007
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 214
nationality = flag|United States
birth_date = birth date and age|1987|11|8
birth_place = Oklahoma City, OK
death_date =
death_place =
highschool = Putnam City North HS,
Oklahoma City, OK
former_school(s)=
career_highlights =
awards =
honors =
records =
championships = y
championship_list = 2007 Big 12 Conference Champions
bowl_games = y
bowl_list = 2008 Fiesta Bowl
tournaments =
tournament_list =

Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is a quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. He currently holds the NCAA record for touchdown passes by a freshman with 36.

Personal

Though not a member of the Cherokee Nation, Bradford is one-sixteenth Cherokee by way of his great-great-grandmother, Susie Walkingstick, who was a full-blooded Cherokee.cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/sports/ncaafootball/11bradford.html| publisher=New York Times | title=Sooners’ Bradford Is Accidental Cherokee Hero | accessdate=2008-10-11 ] His father Kent Bradford was an offensive lineman for the Sooners in 1978 and '79, where he played with Billy Sims, and his younger brother Kyle Moon-Bradford graduated from Loy Norrix High School and currently attends Eastern Michigan University.

High school career

Bradford attended Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he starred in football, basketball and golf. As a senior quarterback for his high school football team in 2005-2006, he threw for 2,029 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games.cite web | title=14 Sam Bradford | publisher=SoonerSports.com | url=http://soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bradford_sam00.html | accessdate=2007-09-11 ] His senior year in basketball, he averaged a double-double. [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=3134076|title=Oklahoma's rookie QB makes college game looks easy|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2007-11-30|date=2007-11-30|last=Ivan|first=Maisel]

However, Bradford was not that highly ranked (considered a 3 Star recruit) among the high school class of 2006, ranked only 17th among quarterbacks by Scout.com and being overshadowed by the likes of Tim Tebow, Matthew Stafford and Mitch Mustain. [cite web | url=http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=9&c=4&pid=10&yr=2006 | title=Football Recruiting - Quarterback | accessdate=2007-09-11 | publisher=Scout.com ]

College career

In 2006, Oklahoma's starting quarterback Rhett Bomar, then a sophomore, was kicked off the team for violating NCAA rules. Paul Thompson, a senior quarterback-turned-wide receiver, converted back to quarterback and led the 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team to win the Big 12 Championship Game. His departure left a void at the quarterback position at Oklahoma. That void would be filled by either true freshman Keith Nichol (4 star recruit and 6th ranked dual threat quarterback in the 2007 recruiting class, later transfered to Michigan State), redshirt freshman Sam Bradford, or junior Joey Halzle (the only one with game experience). On 2007-08-21, Bradford was named the starting quarterback for the 2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team. [cite web | url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/082107aaa.html | publisher=SoonerSports.com | title=Bradford Gets Nod at Quarterback | accessdate=2007-08-21 ]

In his first game for the Oklahoma Sooners on 2007-09-01 against the University of North Texas, Bradford completed 21 of 23 attempts for 363 yards and three touchdowns in just little over 2 quarters, breaking the school record for passing yards in a half, held by quarterback coach Josh Heupel, with 350.cite news | title=Sooner newbies Bradford, Murray debut with monster games | first=Jenni | last=Carlson | publisher=NewsOK.com | url=http://newsok.com/article/3116419 | accessdate=2007-09-04 | date=2007-09-02 ] The very next game, Bradford broke Heisman Trophy winner Jason White's school record for most consecutive pass completions with 22 (18 came in the first half and four at the start of the second).cite news | title=Sooners' Bradford proves that he belongs | publisher=NewsOK.com | first=Jake | last=Trotter | url=http://newsok.com/article/3121288 | date=2007-09-09 | accessdate=2007-09-10 ]

In the second week of the 2007 season, Bradford was named the national offensive player of the week by the Walter Camp Foundation [cite web | title=Bradford Captures Camp Honor | url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/090907aab.html | publisher=SoonerSports.com | accessdate=2007-09-10 | date=2007-09-09 ] after tying the school record for most touchdown passes in a game with five. [cite web | title=Oklahoma Rocks Miami, 51-13 | url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090807aaa.html | publisher=SoonerSports.com | accessdate=2007-09-10 ] Having thrown 25 TDs through his first nine games, Bradford was on pace to break the NCAA freshman record of 29 TDs set by David Neill in 1998 and tied by Colt McCoy in 2006.

In the November 17, 2007 game against Texas Tech, Bradford suffered a concussion of unknown severity. He was removed from the game and replaced by back-up quarterback Joey Halzle. The Sooners lost the game, 27–34. [cite web | title = The Sports Network I-A College Football | url = http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfoot/news/AFN4113246.htm | publisher = The Sports Network | accessdate = 2007-11-18] Bradford was able to play in the Bedlam game against Oklahoma State on November 24. [cite web | title = ESPN - Sooners QB Bradford to be reevaluated this week - College Football | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3117799 | publisher = ESPN | accessdate = 2007-11-21]

During the November 24, 2007 game against Oklahoma State Cowboys, Bradford broke the NCAA freshman record of 29 TDs by passing his 30th TD to Joe Jon Finley during the second quarter. [cite news | title=Patrick runs for career-best 202 yards, 2 TDs as OU rolls | publisher=ESPN | accessdate=2007-11-24 | date=2007-11-24 | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273280201 ] At the Missouri game, Bradford threw for 209 yards and 0 interceptions. He was 18-26 and threw for 2 touchdowns. The Sooners won the Big XII Championship after defeating Missouri for the second time in a season. The Sooners played West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl on January 2, 2008 and lost 48-28. It was Sam Bradford's first BCS bowl as a starter.

NCAA statistics

References