Reebok Top 25 Most Dynamic Athletes: Jay Bradford

In the small town of Splendora, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of Houston, there is a young man who has worked hard to become one of the top football recruits in the country, and one of the top track and field stars in Texas.

But don't expect him to tell you about it.

Jay Bradford of Splendora (Texas) had difficulty explaining how he's been able to excel in both football and track and field, all the while balancing the demands of academics and attempting to have some semblance of a normal adolescent social life.

"I don't know how I do it. I have no clue," he said with a chuckle.



But with a bit of urging from Splendora head football coach Brad Milam, Bradford was able to elaborate.

"I really do focus on getting my grades up so I can be able to compete," said Bradford, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound rising junior. "Then after school ends I get my mind set for practice and get everything done and get as much work in as I can. So at the end of the day I know I actually put the work in so that when a track meet or football game comes, it's nothing."

Only a humble, soft-spoken kid like Bradford would refer to the work he puts in and performances he delivers as "nothing." To him, that's just life.

Now a running back known for his blazing speed, Bradford wasn't always the fast kid on the field. He first began running track in seventh grade and has worked to develop his speed ever since, particularly in the weight room.

"I do a lot of squats and power cleans — especially power cleans," he said. "I love it."

See our special Jay Bradford photo gallery



All the training has clearly paid off, as Bradford is now the No. 36 overall football prospect and the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2015, according to 247Sports.

He is also the reigning Class 3A state title holder in the 100 meters and long jump.

"Here at our school we encourage every athlete to participate in two sports," said Milam, who also serves as the school's athletic director. "And if you're a football player and you don't participate in basketball or baseball, you're running track."

Bradford's athleticism, work ethic and attitude have drawn nothing but praise from Milam, who compares him to a few NFL talents that he also coached: Derrick Blaylock, Jeremiah Trotter and Demorrio Williams.

"We all know 'potential' is a dangerous word," said Milam. "But the potential that Jay has is that potential that you don't find but once or twice in a career."

See all the Reebok Dynamic Athletes
{PAGEBREAK}

Hometown: Splendora, Texas



School: Splendora High School (enrollment approx. 1,000)

Class: 2015

Sports: Football, track and field

College plans: Leaning towards football, but undecided as of now. He hopes to take visits to Baylor, Texas and Texas A&M.

"I'm wide open right now," said Bradford. "It's everywhere — not just Texas but any other state."

Favorite athlete: Trent Richardson, former Alabama and current Cleveland Browns running back.



"He has everything — the speed, the power," said Bradford. "I admire him when it comes to running the ball."

Coach speak: "He's up in the very top of all the high school kids I've coached with respect to physical ability and being just a good kid overall. ... The ceiling's unlimited for Jay. He's such a good kid and such a good athlete that no matter where they stick him he's going to be successful."
- Splendora football coach Brad Milam
{PAGEBREAK}

Despite a stellar sophomore football season, Bradford was playing at a small school in a state full of top talent. So he had to find a way to make himself stand out to college recruiters.

After running around a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash in February, Bradford was officially on the national radar.

This summer the scholarship offers started coming in — Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas Tech thus far according to 247Sports.

Part of the reason Bradford may have gone unnoticed by college scouts is that he missed a chunk of his breakout sophomore season due to injury. He returned with a bang, however, rushing for 311 yards and four touchdowns against Hargrave in the team's final game, and finished the season with more than 1,300 rushing yards.

Given Bradford's speed and durable frame — 5-10, 191 pounds with plenty of room to build muscle — the possibilities at the next level are endless.



"He's got the speed and size to play not only tailback but also play receiver if he had to," said Milam. "And there's no telling what he could do on defense. We never play him on defense — we've never really had the opportunity — but he could make somebody a really good safety, if not a corner."

True to his team-first nature, Bradford is happy to play whatever position his future coaches want him to play.

"Position-wise, it doesn't matter," he said. "I'll play defense, I'll play offense. Just to be on the team and have that connection with the other players, it's something I want to experience."

In addition to his growth on the field, Bradford is also blossoming as a leader as he continues to mature.

"His leadership is more 'Watch how I work, I'm going to work this hard, you've got to keep up with me,'" said Milam. "If kids aren't working as hard as they should, I've never heard a negative word come out of Jay's mouth. It's always just a big smile and a hug on the neck. ... It's leadership through example and positive motivation."
{PAGEBREAK}

After displaying his speed on the football field, Bradford was approached about running track in seventh grade.

He started running the 100 meters, the 200 and the 4x100 relay, and quickly gained attention from the coaches.



"They noticed the speed that I have and they wanted to make it better," said Bradford.

Once in high school, Bradford continued to excel in sprinting events and also branched out into the long jump, where he broke the school record as a freshman in 2012 with a 22-foot mark.

As a sophomore Bradford simply exploded, taking 3A state titles in the 100 and the long jump. He improved his freshman distance by nearly two feet (23-11.5, 11 inches better than the second-place jump) and his winning 100 time of 10.49 seconds was the second-best in the state and placed No. 13 nationally in 2013.

Bradford's drastic improvement can be traced to his performance in the weight room.

"Our football program and our track program are integrated with their workouts," said Milam. "So that allows us to do a lot of cross-training when it comes to building both the track team and the football team."

Despite his success in the individual sprints and long jump, Bradford maintains that his favorite race is also his most grueling and difficult.



"My favorite race — when it comes down to doing it I dislike it — but it's the 4x400. It's my favorite race, but I just hate training for it."

Given Bradford's determination, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Splendora track team take home a state title in that event in 2015.
{PAGEBREAK}