Sam Bradford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sam Bradford

Bradford with the St. Louis Rams in 2012
No. 8, 7, 9
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1987-11-08) November 8, 1987 (age 37) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Putnam City North (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
College:	Oklahoma (2006–2009)
NFL Draft:	2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
St. Louis Rams (2010) Philadelphia Eagles (2015) Minnesota Vikings (2016) Arizona Cardinals (2018)
Career highlights and awards
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2010) NFL completion percentage leader (2016) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2010) Heisman Trophy (2008) Davey O'Brien Award (2008) Sammy Baugh Trophy (2008) AP College Football Player of the Year (2008) SN Player of the Year (2008) Chic Harley Award (2008) Quarterback of the Year (2008) Consensus All-American (2008) Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2008) First-team All-Big 12 (2008) American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 2,967 Passing completions: 1,855 Completion percentage: 62.5% TD–INT: 103–61 Passing yards: 19,449 Passer rating: 84.5
Player stats at PFR

Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former professional football player. He played as a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Bradford went to Putnam City North High School. There, he was a star in football, basketball, and golf. In 2005, as a senior quarterback, he threw for 2,029 yards and 17 touchdowns. He received a scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma, which he accepted. After a year of not playing (called a redshirt season) in 2006, Bradford played for the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2007, he threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns.

In 2008, Bradford won the Heisman Trophy, an award for the best college football player. He was only the second sophomore to win it. He led the Sooners to a record-breaking offense, passing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns. He also ran for five touchdowns. The Sooners finished with a 12–1 record and played in the national championship game.

Bradford entered the NFL draft after the 2009 season. The St. Louis Rams picked him first overall in the 2010 NFL draft. In his first year, he set a record for most completions by a rookie. This helped him win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. In 2015, the Rams traded Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles. He had career-highs in passing yards (3,725) and completion percentage (65%) with the Eagles. In 2016, the Minnesota Vikings got Bradford after their starting quarterback was injured. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 but was later released.

Early Life and Sports

Sam Bradford was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended Putnam City North High School. He was a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, baseball, and golf. He was an All-City quarterback in football. In his senior year, he threw for over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Bradford was also a very good basketball player. As a senior, he averaged 18.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He even played on the same team as future NBA star Blake Griffin. In golf, he beat future professional golfers. He also played ice hockey when he was younger. His former hockey coach said Bradford had the talent to play in the NHL.

By 2005, many top college football programs were interested in Bradford. These included Stanford and Michigan. He was seen as a good prospect for college football.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Sam Bradford QB	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Putnam City North High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	4.78	Dec 2, 2005
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 18 (QB)   Rivals: 12 (QB), 1 (Oklahoma)  ESPN: 16 (QB)
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Football Career

Starting at Oklahoma

Bradford received a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma. He played for coach Bob Stoops's Oklahoma Sooners football team. He did not play in 2006, which is called a redshirt year. In 2007, he became the starting quarterback for the Sooners.

Bradford (left) with teammates during spring practice in April 2007

In his first game, Bradford completed 21 of 23 passes for 363 yards. He broke a school record for passing yards in a half. In his second game, he broke another school record for most consecutive pass completions with 22. He threw 25 touchdowns in his first nine games. This put him on track to break the NCAA freshman record.

In November 2007, Bradford got a concussion during a game against Texas Tech. He missed some time but returned to play. He broke the NCAA freshman record for touchdowns with his 30th touchdown pass. The Sooners won the Big 12 Championship that year.

Heisman Trophy Season (2008)

Sam Bradford during the 2008 NCAA season.

In 2008, Bradford had an amazing season. He broke his own school record for passing yards in a single game with 468 yards. He led the Sooners to their third straight Big 12 Championship. The Sooners also set a new NCAA record for most points scored in a single season with 702 points. They were the first team to score 60 or more points in five straight games. Oklahoma finished the regular season with a 12–1 record.

After this great season, Bradford won the Davey O'Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy. The Heisman Trophy is given to the best player in college football. He was the second sophomore to win the Heisman. He was also the fifth Oklahoma player and the second person of Native American descent to win it. Bradford also won the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year award.

Bradford and the Sooners played against Florida in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. He threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, but Florida won the game 24–14.

Junior Year and Injury (2009)

Bradford decided to stay at Oklahoma for his junior season instead of entering the NFL draft early. In the first game of the 2009 season, he hurt his left shoulder. This injury caused him to miss several weeks. He returned for a game against Baylor, throwing for 389 yards and one touchdown.

However, Bradford re-injured his right shoulder in October 2009 during a game against Texas. It was a serious injury that required surgery. This ended his junior season early. After the surgery, he decided to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

College Awards and Statistics

Bradford received many awards during his college career:

• 2007 Sporting News Freshman of the Year
• 2008 Davey O'Brien Award Winner
• 2008 Heisman Trophy winner
• 2008 Associated Press College Football Player of the Year
• 2008 Sammy Baugh Trophy
• 2023 American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

Here are his college statistics:

Season	Games			Passing								Rushing
	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	INT	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
Oklahoma Sooners
2006	Redshirt
2007	14	14	11–3	237	341	69.5	3,121	9.2	36	8	176.5	31	7	0.2	0
2008	14	14	12–2	328	483	67.9	4,721	9.8	50	8	180.8	42	47	1.1	5
2009	3	3	1–2	39	69	56.5	562	8.1	2	0	134.5	4	−18	-4.5	0
Career	31	31	24–7	604	893	67.6	8,403	9.4	88	16	175.6	77	36	0.5	5

NFL Career Highlights

Joining the St. Louis Rams

Bradford was considered a top prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft. On April 22, 2010, the St. Louis Rams chose him as the first overall pick. He was the first No. 1 pick from Oklahoma since 1980. Bradford chose jersey number 8, honoring Troy Aikman. On July 30, 2010, Bradford signed a six-year contract with the Rams.

Rookie Season (2010)

Bradford was named the starting quarterback for the Rams in 2010. In his first regular season game, he completed 32 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown. Two weeks later, he earned his first NFL victory against the Washington Redskins. He then led the Rams to another win over the Seahawks.

In October, Bradford was named the NFL's offensive rookie of the month. He tied an NFL record for most touchdowns by a rookie in his first eight games (11 touchdowns). He also set a rookie record for most consecutive passes without an interception (169). In November, he became the first rookie quarterback to win two straight Offensive Rookie of the Month awards.

Bradford finished his rookie season with 354 completions. This broke Peyton Manning's record for most completions by an NFL rookie quarterback. He was one of only three rookie quarterbacks to start all 16 games and pass for over 3,000 yards. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Later Rams Seasons (2011–2014)

The 2011 season was tough for Bradford and the Rams due to many injuries. Bradford finished with 2,164 passing yards and six touchdowns. The team had a 2–14 record.

In 2012, new head coach Jeff Fisher confirmed Bradford as the Rams' starting quarterback. The Rams improved, finishing with a 7–8–1 record. Bradford had career-best numbers, including 3,702 passing yards and 21 touchdowns.

Bradford throwing against the New York Jets in 2012.

In 2013, the Rams added new players, and some expected them to do well. Bradford started strong, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns in the first game. He threw for three touchdowns in two other games. However, in Week 7, Bradford tore his left ACL (a knee injury). This ended his season. He had passed for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Bradford in 2014

Sadly, Bradford suffered another injury to the same ACL in a preseason game in 2014. This meant he missed the entire 2014 season.

Time with the Philadelphia Eagles (2015)

Bradford with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015

On March 10, 2015, Bradford was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. In his first game as an Eagle, he completed 36 passes for a touchdown. He threw three touchdowns in Week 4. In Week 6, the Eagles won against the New York Giants, moving to first place in their division.

In November, Bradford suffered a left shoulder injury and a concussion. He missed two games because of this. He finished his first season with the Eagles with a 7–7 record as a starter. His play improved later in the season. He led the Eagles to an upset win over the New England Patriots in Week 13. The Eagles finished the season with a 7–9 record.

In March 2016, Bradford signed a new contract with the Eagles. However, the Eagles later traded for the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft to pick a new quarterback. This led to talk that Bradford might be traded.

Playing for the Minnesota Vikings (2016–2017)

Bradford (No. 8) with the Vikings in 2016

On September 3, 2016, Bradford was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. This trade happened after the Vikings' starting quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Bradford made his first start for the Vikings just 15 days after being traded. He played against the Green Bay Packers and completed 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He led the Vikings to their first win in their new stadium. Many people praised his performance. He continued to play well, throwing touchdowns and avoiding interceptions in his first few games.

Bradford started 15 games in 2016. He completed 395 of 552 passes for 3,877 yards and 20 touchdowns. His 71.6% completion percentage set an NFL record for a single season at the time.

In Week 1 of 2017, Bradford completed 27 of 32 passes for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. He earned his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. However, he missed several games due to a knee injury. He made only one more start that season before undergoing knee surgery in November. He was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

Short Stint with the Arizona Cardinals (2018)

Bradford with the Cardinals in 2018

On March 16, 2018, Bradford signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He wore number 9 with the Cardinals. After struggling in the first two games, he was replaced by rookie Josh Rosen. Bradford was later released by the Cardinals in November 2018.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Personal Life

Bradford in 2011

Sam Bradford is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He was the first person from the Cherokee Nation to be a starting quarterback for a major college football team since the 1970s. In April 2023, he was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. His father, Kent Bradford, also played football for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Bradford is a big fan of ice hockey. His favorite team is the Vancouver Canucks. He is also a very good golfer and played basketball in high school.

Bradford is a Christian. He shared his faith in a video series called I Am Second. In 2009, the mayor of Oklahoma City declared January 13 as "Sam Bradford Day."

Bradford got engaged to Emma Lavy in March 2016. They were married on July 15, 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Sam Bradford para niños