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Former JSU star Bradford bursts at seams to do something different
By Mike Christensen
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
Say this for Corey Bradford: He's not reluctant to try something new.
Bradford went out for the football team at Jackson State on a whim five years ago ? and wound up getting drafted a few months later by the Green Bay Packers.
When the Packers couldn't guarantee him a starting job at wide receiver for this season, his fifth in the NFL, Bradford jumped at a chance to sign with a team that could make such a promise.
He bolted the tradition-rich, talent-stocked Packers and signed as a free agent with the expansion Houston Texans.
Maybe this will work out, too. At any rate, Bradford is not one to look back.
"It wasn't a real tough decision," said Bradford, a Louisiana native. "I weighed my options. I talked to the Packers, and Coach (Mike) Sherman said I might start this year but I'd be battling Robert Ferguson for the job.
"The Texans basically said, 'You'll start, no battling.' Hmmm . . . why should I battle for a job when I have an offer to start?"
Not only will he start, but the dash-fast Bradford figures to be the No. 1 target for No. 1 draft pick David Carr, the Texans' rookie quarterback.
Bradford, 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, was the Packers' third receiver last season, when he caught 31 passes for 526 yards and two touchdowns. (Ironically, the Nos. 1 and 2 receivers, Bill Schroeder and Antonio Freeman, also left.)
Following a dream
You might think it's a receiver's dream to catch passes from Brett Favre, the former Southern Miss star who has established himself as one of the game's all-time best in Green Bay.
"Yeah, I'll miss Brett," Bradford said, "but David Carr's getting there. Their arm strength is about the same from what I've seen. Brett's a little stronger, and he's been in the league a long time. But Carr might be a future Hall of Famer, too."
That remains to be seen, of course, but give Bradford credit for sticking his neck out. It seems to be his nature.
This is a guy who responded to a football tryouts flier he saw on a dormitory wall at JSU. He was there as a track athlete, hadn't played football in four years.
"The first day, we ran the 40 (yard dash) in sprinkling rain, and I did back-to-back 4.32's," Bradford recalled. "The coaches were saying, 'Where'd you come from?'
"I had put down DB (defensive back) as my position, but they said, 'With your size and speed, you ought to play receiver.' "
Bradford was a DB and backup quarterback in high school, never played a down at wideout.
"But it was always my dream to play receiver," he said. "Jackson State put me over there; the rest is history."
Aching to play
Though he is a relative novice at his position, Bradford firmly believes he's on the verge of a breakout.
"Every season, you're learning," said Bradford, whom the Packers brought along slowly after drafting him in the fifth round in 1998.
"But I feel I can step up and show my skills this year. I feel I can do that here. I'm glad to have the opportunity."
The Texans aren't your ordinary expansion team. They were able to load up on proven talent in the expansion draft, getting five former Pro Bowlers, and in the free agent market. In the college draft, they had five picks in the first 2 1/2 rounds.
"We're still getting to know each other," Bradford said Friday after the Texans had wrapped up their first week of practice. "But I tell you what, we can't wait to play somebody. Nobody knows what kind of offense we'll run, nobody knows what we've got."
That's right: It's something new.
By Mike Christensen
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
Say this for Corey Bradford: He's not reluctant to try something new.
Bradford went out for the football team at Jackson State on a whim five years ago ? and wound up getting drafted a few months later by the Green Bay Packers.
When the Packers couldn't guarantee him a starting job at wide receiver for this season, his fifth in the NFL, Bradford jumped at a chance to sign with a team that could make such a promise.
He bolted the tradition-rich, talent-stocked Packers and signed as a free agent with the expansion Houston Texans.
Maybe this will work out, too. At any rate, Bradford is not one to look back.
"It wasn't a real tough decision," said Bradford, a Louisiana native. "I weighed my options. I talked to the Packers, and Coach (Mike) Sherman said I might start this year but I'd be battling Robert Ferguson for the job.
"The Texans basically said, 'You'll start, no battling.' Hmmm . . . why should I battle for a job when I have an offer to start?"
Not only will he start, but the dash-fast Bradford figures to be the No. 1 target for No. 1 draft pick David Carr, the Texans' rookie quarterback.
Bradford, 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, was the Packers' third receiver last season, when he caught 31 passes for 526 yards and two touchdowns. (Ironically, the Nos. 1 and 2 receivers, Bill Schroeder and Antonio Freeman, also left.)
Following a dream
You might think it's a receiver's dream to catch passes from Brett Favre, the former Southern Miss star who has established himself as one of the game's all-time best in Green Bay.
"Yeah, I'll miss Brett," Bradford said, "but David Carr's getting there. Their arm strength is about the same from what I've seen. Brett's a little stronger, and he's been in the league a long time. But Carr might be a future Hall of Famer, too."
That remains to be seen, of course, but give Bradford credit for sticking his neck out. It seems to be his nature.
This is a guy who responded to a football tryouts flier he saw on a dormitory wall at JSU. He was there as a track athlete, hadn't played football in four years.
"The first day, we ran the 40 (yard dash) in sprinkling rain, and I did back-to-back 4.32's," Bradford recalled. "The coaches were saying, 'Where'd you come from?'
"I had put down DB (defensive back) as my position, but they said, 'With your size and speed, you ought to play receiver.' "
Bradford was a DB and backup quarterback in high school, never played a down at wideout.
"But it was always my dream to play receiver," he said. "Jackson State put me over there; the rest is history."
Aching to play
Though he is a relative novice at his position, Bradford firmly believes he's on the verge of a breakout.
"Every season, you're learning," said Bradford, whom the Packers brought along slowly after drafting him in the fifth round in 1998.
"But I feel I can step up and show my skills this year. I feel I can do that here. I'm glad to have the opportunity."
The Texans aren't your ordinary expansion team. They were able to load up on proven talent in the expansion draft, getting five former Pro Bowlers, and in the free agent market. In the college draft, they had five picks in the first 2 1/2 rounds.
"We're still getting to know each other," Bradford said Friday after the Texans had wrapped up their first week of practice. "But I tell you what, we can't wait to play somebody. Nobody knows what kind of offense we'll run, nobody knows what we've got."
That's right: It's something new.
