Harold Bradley Jr. facts for kids
Bradley Jr. in 2014
|
|||
| Position: | Guard | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | October 13, 1929 Chicago, Illinois |
||
| Died: | April 13, 2021 (aged 91) Rome, Italy |
||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Englewood (IL) | ||
| College: | Iowa | ||
| Undrafted: | 1951 | ||
| Career history | |||
|
|||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
|
|||
| Player stats at PFR | |||
Harold Willard Bradley Jr. (born October 13, 1929 – died April 13, 2021) was a talented American who did many things. He was a professional football player. He also became an actor, singer, and artist in Italy.
He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes team. After college, he played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) between 1954 and 1958. Later, he starred in over 25 Italian movies. He also opened a special art and music studio in Rome.
Contents
Early Life and Football
Harold Bradley Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the West Woodlawn area of the city. His father, Harold Bradley Sr., was also a football player. He was one of the first African-Americans to play in the NFL before World War II. His father played for the Chicago Cardinals in 1928.
Just like his dad, Harold Bradley Jr. played football in high school. He attended Englewood High School in Chicago. After graduating, he went on to study at the University of Iowa.
Playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes
When Harold Bradley Jr. joined the Hawkeyes football team, it was a special moment. He and his father became the first African-American father-son duo to play football for the University of Iowa. His father had played for the Hawkeyes in 1926.
In 1950, Bradley Jr. was one of five African-American players on the Hawkeye team. They were nicknamed the "Orange Bowl Five." This group made history when they played a game at the University of Miami. They were the first African-Americans to play at the famous Orange Bowl stadium. Miami won that game 14-6.
Bradley Jr. was a star player. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1950 Iowa football team. He finished his college studies in 1951. He earned a degree in fine arts.
Professional Football Career
After college, Bradley served in the U.S. Marines for three years. He played football for a team called the Devil Dogs from 1951 to 1953. A coach from the Cleveland Browns discovered him there.
He then played three seasons for the Cleveland Browns. This was from 1954 to 1956. He helped the team win NFL championships in both 1954 and 1955. He finished his professional football career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958.
By playing in the NFL, Harold Bradley Jr. and his father made history again. They were the first African-American father and son to both play in the NFL.
Life in Italy and Entertainment Career
In 1959, Harold Bradley Jr. received a scholarship. He went to study at the University for Foreigners of Perugia in Italy. In 1962, he opened an art studio in Rome called Folkstudio.
During the day, Folkstudio was a place to show his paintings. In the evenings, it transformed into a jazz club. Many famous musicians performed there, including Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.
Acting in Movies and TV
Bradley Jr. started acting in 1960. His first movie role was in Barabbas in 1961. Over the next seven years, he starred in more than a dozen Italian films. Many of these were in the "sword-and-sandal" style. These movies often featured heroes from ancient times.
Some of his notable roles from 1965 include Tucos in Sette contro tutti (Seven Rebel Gladiators). He also played George Harris in La capanna dello zio Tom (Uncle Tom's Cabin).
Return to the United States
In 1968, Harold Bradley Jr. moved back to the United States. He took a job as a curator for the Illinois Arts Council in Chicago. He also taught history of education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He worked with a university program that helped local schools.
Later, he worked for the Illinois State Board of Education. He produced educational television shows. For 18 years, he hosted three prime-time public affairs shows. These shows focused on race and cultural issues.
During these years, he also appeared in movies and on television sometimes.
Back to Italy
In 1987, Bradley Jr. visited Italy to celebrate Folkstudio's 25th anniversary. He loved it so much that he decided to live there permanently. After returning to Italy, he appeared in a few more films. This included a small role in Daylight with Sylvester Stallone. He also released six albums of spiritual and folk music.
Personal Life
Harold Bradley Jr. lived in Rome, Italy. He was married to Hannelore. They had two daughters, Michaela and Lea, and a son named Oliver.
Awards and Recognition
- Engelwood High School: Most Valuable Player and Team Captain for varsity football.
- University of Iowa: Most Valuable Player for varsity football (1950). He also received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Recognized in 1978 as part of the first African-American father-son duo in the NFL, with his father, Harold W. Bradley, Sr..
- Ingersoll Art Award (1940).
- Medaglia in Bronzo con Incisa la Lupa Capitolina, from the City of Rome (July 2012). This award recognized his founding of Folkstudio. It also honored his contributions to Italian culture and music.
- A special plaque was placed on the building where Folkstudio started in Rome (July 2012).
Movies and TV Shows
Movies
- La tragica notte di Assisi (1960)
- Barabbas (1961)
- Io, Semiramide (1962)
- Maciste il gladiatore più forte del mondo (1962)
- Il gladiatore di Roma (1962)
- Cleopatra (1963)
- Maciste l'eroe più grande del mondo (1963)
- L'eroe di Babilonia (1963)
- Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
- Tarzak contro gli uomini leopardo (1964)
- Maciste nell'inferno di Gengis Khan (1964)
- La caduta dell'impero romano (1964)
- La capanna dello zio Tom (Uncle Tom's Cabin) (1965)
- Sette contro tutti (Seven Rebel Gladiators) (1965)
- Missione apocalisse (1966)
- Per amore... per magia... (1967)
- Troppo per vivere... poco per morire (1967)
- I giorni della violenza (1967)
- Sing Sing chiama Wall Street (1987)
- Pacco, doppio pacco e contropaccotto (1993)
- Daylight – Trappola nel tunnel (1996)
- Memsaab (1996)
- Solo x te (TV movie) (1998)
- Gangs of New York (2002)
- In ascolto (2006)
- The Same Love – l'Amore è Uguale Per Tutti (2010)
- Habemus Papam (2011)
- Miss Wolf and the Lamb (short film) (2011)
Television Series
- La donna di fiori (1965)
- La fiera della vanità (1967)
- The Chisholms (1979)
- Valeria medico legale (2002)
- Questa Sera parla Mark Twain
- Il grande coltello
Theater Performances
- Tango (1966–67)
- L’avvenimento (1966–67)
- Shakespeare in Harlem, by Langston Hughes
- Mister Jazz, by L. Hughes
- The Dutchman, by LeRoi Jones
- La Putain Respectuese, by Jean-Paul Sartre
- Arriva l'uomo del Ghiaccio
- Il Volpone, by Ben Jonson
- Purlie. Musical
- A Spasso con Daisy (Driving with Miss Daisy)
- Se non ci fosse la Luna. Musical
- La città di Dio
Television Host
- People Beat – WICD – Channel 15 (NBC) 1975–1980
Publicity
- Carrera sunglasses (2011)
