Bradford

[Collier11]

'There's no doubt I made the right decision'

by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Thursday, January 14, 2010

After the 2008 season, Sam Bradford was the Heisman Trophy winner and a projected No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. One year ago today, he announced he was putting the NFL on hold and returning to OU. Despite injuries that may have hurt his draft stock, Bradford says he's happy with his choice.

A year ago today, Sam Bradford stood at the podium in OU's Memorial Stadium Club and spoke of his contentment and satisfaction with having decided to play another year at Oklahoma.

The NFL scouting combine, the draft, mini-camps, contract negotiations, training camp, and the millions of dollars that go with it all for high first-round picks — it could all wait, Bradford said. He would be a Sooner in 2009.

Now, with his shoulder twice wrecked and still on the mend, a question is speeding toward Bradford with each sunrise.

Did he make the right decision?

"There's no doubt I made the right decision," Bradford told the Tulsa World in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "I mean, people can doubt me and people can question me and say I made the wrong decision, but no one was sitting in my shoes last year. No one had all the information that I had last year. No one knew my emotions, how I felt last year. So no one could make that decision for me except for me.

"I know I made the right decision and some people might not agree with it, but it wasn't their decision. It was my decision."

Bradford clocks in every morning at his new full-time job in Gulf Breeze, Fla. He works out every morning at Athletes Performance, Inc., rehabs his shoulder for 90 minutes every afternoon at the Andrews Institute for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, then works out again at API until 5. He'll start light throwing soon, he said, but doesn't expect to do anything at the NFL Scouting Combine except interview and show off his shoulder.

If the shoulder checks out, his draft status should be fine. If it's troublesome, his stock will fall, and those who say he made the wrong decision by staying at OU in 2009 will sound off in full force. Unfortunately, NFL scouts don't have much to work with — other than two years of exceptional quarterbacking and a sore shoulder.

"The draft process, as strange as it sounds, has a lot to do sometimes with momentum, and his momentum right now is all negative," Scouts, Inc. director Todd McShay told the Tulsa World in a recent interview. "When you sit in a draft room with a general manager and a bunch of scouts, it's real easy to compare him with, say, Jimmy Clausen . . . (and) start bringing out the negatives: 'Well, he was in a system that doesn't translate to the NFL. Little bit undersized. Durability issues. Never saw him in tough game situations.'

"All of a sudden that negativity starts rolling and rolling and rolling and before you know it he winds up in the second round."

During an ESPN interview this week, McShay called Bradford "the best quarterback in this class" and said, "assuming he checks out healthy at the combine and there's no question about that shoulder injury — I think he's a little bit of a reach this high — but as the No. 1 quarterback, you know he's going to go in the top five to 10 picks."

NFL.com senior writer and former Dallas Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt said he, too, expected Bradford to be taken in the top five. Draft analyst Mel Kiper, also an ESPN contributor, has Bradford ranked No. 5 overall. Scouts, Inc., ranks Bradford the No. 11 overall prospect.

If Bradford goes in the first five to 10 picks, that's precisely where he was projected last year before he declared his intention to play another year at OU.

The guaranteed money for quarterbacks in the last two drafts was starkly different in regards to their draft position.

In 2008, Matt Ryan was chosen No. 3 by Atlanta and received $34 million guaranteed. Baltimore picked Joe Flacco at No. 18 and gave him $8.75 million guaranteed.

In 2009, Matthew Stafford went to Detroit with the No. 1 overall pick and got $41 million guaranteed. At No. 5, the New York Jets gave Mark Sanchez $28 million guaranteed. Josh Freeman, the No. 17 pick, got $10 million guaranteed from Tampa Bay.

What determines Bradford's bank account, Brandt said, is exactly what NFL teams think about his right shoulder when they finally get to see it at the combine next month.

"Nobody can bring this guy in to give him an exam. You're not allowed to," Brandt said. "So you won't know anything until February 25th or 26th, because they report on the 24th to Indianapolis."

Brandt recalled the 2007 case of Sooner running back Adrian Peterson, who came out with a fractured collarbone. Half the NFL teams thought he was a risk, the other half didn't, Brandt said. He ended up going to Minnesota with the seventh pick and has led the league in rushing yards over the last three years.

"The same doctors with the same degrees," Brandt said, "don't always read the X-rays the same way."

Which gets down to this: Among those teams who aren't scared away by Bradford's injury, which ones need a quarterback, and where are they drafting?

"All it takes is one team to fall in love with him," McShay said, "but I know how this thing works, and it just makes me nervous for him, the negativity that'll start snowballing."


Fearless predictions
Despite a surgically repaired shoulder and months of rehab, former oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is projected to be picked high in the NFL draft this April. of the hundreds of online mock draft projections, here’s a sampling, to match Bradford’s jersey number, of 14:

Mel Kiper/ESPN: No. 5* (No mock draft yet)
Todd McShay/Scouts, Inc.: No. 4 (Washington)
Great Blue North Draft Report: No. 6 (Seattle)
NFLDraftBlitz.com: No. 10 (Denver)
BleacherReport.com: No. 4 (Washington)
WalterFootball.com: No. 4 (Washington)
NFLDraftDog.com: No. 6 (Seattle)
DraftKing.com: No. 4 (Washington)
DraftCountdown.com: No. 1 (St. Louis)
DraftSite.com: No. 4 (Washington)
MyNFLDraft.com: No. 4 (Washington)
CDSDraft.com: No. 14 (Seattle)
DraftTek.com: No. 4 (Washington)
DraftSeason.com: No. 4 (Washington)

[Collier11]

The fact of the matter, whether we like it or not is that these athletes for OU and any other school have to make a decision for themselves.

Nothing is guaranteed and if they want to go to school or to the draft, its their decision so none of us have the right to ever say they made the wrong decision.

[Leroy Lizard]

Bradford was crazy to risk it for another year. Didn't he know that QBs can get hurt?

[Leroy Lizard]

Nothing is guaranteed and if they want to go to school or to the draft, its their decision so none of us have the right to ever say they made the wrong decision.

I like it when some beat reporter questions the financial decision-making of a player.

[Collier11]

yep, when push comes to shove it is no diff (other than the amount of money) than any university student deciding when and what job he will take

[Leroy Lizard]

If I was a player, I would tell the reporter to provide a full disclosure of his own salary before I would answer any questions about my own.

[JLEW1818]

well i mean.. lets be honest for a minute... numerically, no he did not make the right decision.....

on the other hand.. he will lose a couple million... but got to come back to OU... his kids kids kids kids will still be set for life...

so in the end, yes he lost millions.. but he will already be getting millions...

he will still be rich.....money can only buy u so much.. sure Stafford might own a small country ... who cares?

God Luck Sammy.. u really were fun to watch in Crimson

yes u lost millions... yes u will be getting millions.... it is a win win..

[Collier11]

well i mean.. lets be honest for a minute... numerically, no he did not make the right decision.....

Says who? we have no proof at all when he woulda been drafted, according to Stoops he wouldnt have been drafted when Mcshay and Kiper said he would have

on the other hand.. he will lose a couple million... but got to come back to OU... his kids kids kids kids will still be set for life...

He did what he wanted to do therefore none of us have the right to question that

so in the end, yes he lost millions.. but he will already be getting millions...

he will still be rich.....money can only buy u so much.. sure Stafford might own a small country ... who cares?

You cant honestly say that cus you dont know, none of us know when he woulda been drafted last yr

God Luck Sammy.. u really were fun to watch in Crimson

yes u lost millions... yes u will be getting millions.... it is a win win..

If he is drafted Top 10 I highly doubt he lost any money

[JLEW1818]

i hope to god he is drafted top 10...

can u honestly say he benefited coming back to OU? as far as the NFL?

i cant .... i really cant ...

Stoops also said that Madu would be great in the slot.... LOL

[Collier11]

Speaking of which, I hear Madu is getting moved back to RB, geez...I trust Stoops, he was right with Chester, Jamal Brown, Woolfolk, and on and on. Did he benefit in our eyes, no, did he get hurt by coming back, probably not

[Crucifax Autumn]

He's gonna have big-time money and he'll be able to tell his own kids to finish school and sacrifice for their team with a straight face.

[JLEW1818]

i would give a nut for Sam.... no seriously

but i can't just flat out say, Sam made the right decision by coming back to school... idk what would have happened if he left last year.. I'm sure he would have gone before Sanchez? maybe not Stafford who knows... i just don't want him to be the poster child... meaning, i hope he tears it up in the NFL.

Woolfolk was the ****..he truly made tfrw his absolute bitch... most underrated/forgotten Sooner under Stoops

[Collier11]

You are missing a point though Jlew, SB is a grown man, he is allowed to make his own decisions and if HE says he made the right decision then he did because at the end of the day whether he makes $40 mil guaranteed in this draft or $4 mil guaranteed, he did what he wanted to do

[OU_Sooners75]

i would give a nut for Sam.... no seriously

but i can't just flat out say, Sam made the right decision by coming back to school... idk what would have happened if he left last year.. I'm sure he would have gone before Sanchez? maybe not Stafford who knows... i just don't want him to be the poster child... meaning, i hope he tears it up in the NFL.

Woolfolk was the ****..he truly made tfrw his absolute bitch... most underrated/forgotten Sooner under Stoops


Why? Because it is a decision you would not have made?

Or is it because hindsight is 20/20?

This time last year, it was the right decision, and now it isn't, because he got hurt?

The possibility of being injured in this sport is exponential and there on every snap of the ball, no matter if he was in college or the NFL.

Lets just pray he can get himself ready to play and make it in the NFL unlike our past QBs!

[JLEW1818]

"obviously" as Sam would say, he made the right choice for him

but step away from the Sooner table if possible...

did he make the right choice from a business move?

[JLEW1818]

Why? Because it is a decision you would not have made?

Or is it because hindsight is 20/20?

This time last year, it was the right decision, and now it isn't, because he got hurt?

The possibility of being injured in this sport is exponential and there on every snap of the ball, no matter if he was in college or the NFL.

Lets just pray he can get himself ready to play and make it in the NFL unlike our past QBs!

no i wanted him to leave last year. but when he came back, of course i was glad...

u can find a thread if you search that i made this time last year.. "why would he come back" ?

[Collier11]

Business doesnt matter, what SB is comfortable is what matters. He did what he wanted to do therefore it was the right choice


If you wanted to run off and elope with CK I would doubt your sanity but I couldnt argue that wasnt the best thing for you if thats what you wanted to do :D

[JLEW1818]

so Gresham made the right decision too?

don't get me wrong, this was an absolute nightmare this year, what happened to OUr boys.


sure its easy to talk about who made the right/wrong decisions now

I'm not really doing that tho ...

[JLEW1818]

i mean what if Sam tore both his ACLs this season?? would it still be the best decision ? or does that change the situation?

take the money when u can.. thank god his injury was not that serious.

[Collier11]

If Gresham truly came back because he wanted to then yea, he will likely be a 1st rd pick this yr, he has 1 less yr of wear and tear on his body than he would have

If I had a job offer in dallas making 150k a yr and a job offer in Okc making 75k a year and I decided to take the job in okc because I love where im at, you cant question my decision because I did what made me happy, thats what you are missing

[Collier11]

i mean what if Sam tore both his ACLs this season?? would it still be the best decision ? or does that change the situation?

take the money when u can.. thank god his injury was not that serious.

If IFs and butts were candy and nuts...you could say, what if Tebow went to the Philippines this summer to circumcise a 100 babies and got shot in the face by some gorilla warrior that he made the wrong decision but not really if he was there doing what he loved

[OU_Sooners75]

"obviously" as Sam would say, he made the right choice for him

but step away from the Sooner table if possible...

did he make the right choice from a business move?


It does not matter what type of business move it was.

What matters most is if he thinks it is the right decision for HIMSELF.

I think he has clearly answered that for everyone!

BTW, Life is not business, so the decisions we make should not be acted upon as such.

[OU_Sooners75]

i mean what if Sam tore both his ACLs this season?? would it still be the best decision ? or does that change the situation?

take the money when u can.. thank god his injury was not that serious.


And he is taking the MONEY this year.

It is not always about the money. It is also about the atmosphere and what you want to do.

Sam will be making a fairly decent living no matter what he chooses to do.

Corporate Attorney or NFL...doesnt matter. He will make big money either way!

[JLEW1818]

Sam made the right choice, no question about it..

[Collier11]

If thats how he feels, absolutely. What we feel matters not

[JLEW1818]

Sam Bradford got better/benefited by coming back to OU

FALSE FALSE FALSE

i feel bad bashing Sam.. and I'm sorry Sam

[Collier11]

Sam Bradford got better/benefited by coming back to OU

FALSE FALSE FALSE

i feel bad bashing Sam.. and I'm sorry Sam

How do you know he didnt get better, he got an extra year in the film room for one. Not to mention, it isnt about what he did by coming back, it has to do with what he did based on what he wanted to do

[JLEW1818]

i understand that

this conversation can be taken 2 directions...

first, people who have sympathy for Sam and actually care about him ( OU fans)

second, people who could careless about any college player's problems, and just grade/judge them on their draft stock...


i guess this is more of an NFL discussion.... Sooner fans have personal feelings for Sam and his decisions.. ( which i do too)

[Collier11]

The thing with me is this, I dont care if he went to OU, osu, or buttf*ck tech, if he went back for himself because he felt like it was right, then he made the right decision

[JLEW1818]

lol sure...

okay, lets say we can go back to August.. and he knew he was going to get hurt early in the season, and knew he would be out for the year.. would he have entered the draft instead? yes

I'm not saying his decision was horrible, just not the best... AR rarr arrar "who am i to judge his decision!!!!!!"

[Collier11]

If he knew that then he would have, what does it matter what we know or think?

[JLEW1818]

so if he could 2009 again, would he ? or would he enter the draft?

[Collier11]

Hindsight is retarded though

If you sat SB down and showed him a crystal ball and that crystal ball said guess what Sam, if you come back you are going to hurt your shoulder, im sure he woulda left. The fact of the matter is, that isnt possible and is ridiculous. He came back because he wanted to, knowing that injury was a possibility, therefore he did the right thing because it is what he thought was right

[JLEW1818]

if anything, Sam was lucky, it could have been worse...

take the money when you are a top 2 QB. luckily he will probably still get around the same money.. maybe a little less like i said.

[12]

Tell me there won't be a "Gresham Ford" or otherwise profitable enterprise in Ardmore the next few years.

I don't blame the kid and I hope he makes the most of his name.

These kids have an advantage. I just hope they use it.

[OU_Sooners75]

Sam Bradford got better/benefited by coming back to OU

FALSE FALSE FALSE

i feel bad bashing Sam.. and I'm sorry Sam


How do you know he did not get better?

Because he got hurt? That does not mean you stayed the same or lost anything.

Look at it as a blessing too.

A lot of people were trying to say Sam lacked arm strength. Now with him injuring his shoulder, his arm strength could be a plus for him.

The reason I say this is because he has to concentrate on rehabbing it now. Which will strengthen his shoulder and may make him a stronger passer!

Never know, I believe in, "there is a reason why things happen."

[Collier11]

Let me ask you this

Lets say a guy walks up to you with a briefcase and he says, "jlew, you can pick a briefcase or nothing, the briefcase either has 1 milliion dollars or a bomb, what do you want to do" Well you pick the briefcase because of the opportunity to help yourself and your family financially but when you open the briefcase it blows up.

Well, in hindsight you fudged up but in reality, you did what you thought was right at the time because of the potential benefits.

And yes, thats the best I can come up with right now, im drunk :D

[OU_Sooners75]

if anything, Sam was lucky, it could have been worse...

take the money when you are a top 2 QB. luckily he will probably still get around the same money.. maybe a little less like i said.


Yeah, because god knows you will always be a top 2 QB!

How great have the past top 2 QBs been? How far back do we have to go to find one that is really great in the NFL?

[Collier11]

another, more logical scenario...lets say we know for sure that SB woulda been the #1 pick last yr so he goes to the Lions, gets fat cash but then cus they suck he inevitably sucks or gets hurt badly and never gets a big 2nd contract.

Now lets say he decides to come back despite what he knows, gets hurt, drops to the late 1st rd or 2nd rd, gets picked by a better team, sits behind a pro bowl qb for a year or two, then takes over and does great, only to get a great contract in year 4...see, it can work either way bro

[BoulderSooner79]

another, more logical scenario...lets say we know for sure that SB woulda been the #1 pick last yr so he goes to the Lions, gets fat cash but then cus they suck he inevitably sucks or gets hurt badly and never gets a big 2nd contract.

Now lets say he decides to come back despite what he knows, gets hurt, drops to the late 1st rd or 2nd rd, gets picked by a better team, sits behind a pro bowl qb for a year or two, then takes over and does great, only to get a great contract in year 4...see, it can work either way bro

^This. There is no way to go back and replay the other "time line" with Sam getting drafted in '09. He may have gotten drafted much lower than the college experts like McShay predicted (the NFL boys often do that). He may have gone to a team that was a bad match for him vs. what happens this year. Lots of other bad things non-football related may have changed due to the location of the team that picked him. (Auto crash, met the wrong chick, swine flu, etc.). He made a decision based on risk/benefit and the odds of getting hurt went into that risk assessment. Bummer it didn't work out, but that's the only context that a decision can be judged - not based on what happened since then. Tom Brady got nothing compared to 1st rounders going in the 6th round. But it's not hard to come up with a scenario where his current situation beats the heck out of what might have happened had he been the #1 pick. I have full confidence that Sam Bradford is a hard working, talented and emotionally stable young man and good things will come his way because of it.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I look at it like this..

1. It looks like to me Sam has been able to fill out that frame some more which is good...

2. Despite the shoulder injury, he is still able to work on the non throwing aspects of being a quarterback..footwork, watch a ton of film, etc..pretty much a year dedicated to just study...He hasn't had to really get prepared for one opponent from one week to the next, but look at the general improvements, read, etc that he needs to learn how to make

3. The rest of his body has pretty much had a year off to recover from any other lingering injuries and get a lot of rest..

[stoops the eternal pimp]

And if you think that Bradford was an automatic shoe-in to be the #1 pick last year, your fooling yourself...

[Frozen Sooner]

gorilla warrior

http://thecia.com.au/reviews/p/images/planet-of-the-apes-6.jpg?

[sooneredaco]

If Sammy says he made the right choice, well who are we to say it was the wrong one? He's the one living with that descision and he seems to be happy with it. That being the case, I'm happy for him. If he was down and upset that he made the wrong choice, then yea I would feel bad for him. But in many ways, that's what makes him, and other great players, who they really are. They stay positive amid trying circumstances and balltle through the adversity.

One thing is certain, prior to this year he never had to battle and bounce back from a serious injury. He's done that. Perhaps not fully in a physical sense, but it sure does seem he's done so between the ears. That in and of itself will make him a stronger and better player and person.

Go get 'em Sammy!
Boomer effen Sooner!!

[VA Sooner]

Don't forget... he was also thinking about his future after football.

He's graduating with a degree from OU, GPA around 3.9, and after a career in the NFL in what looks to be a top ten draft position, will go on to do more things with his finance degree. There was discussion about him possibly going to law school after NFL.

He made the right choice. I don't doubt him one bit.

Boomer Sooner, Bradford!

[adoniijahsooner]

i mean what if Sam tore both his ACLs this season?? would it still be the best decision ? or does that change the situation?

take the money when u can.. thank god his injury was not that serious.

If he injures both ACLs...then he goes on to become a corporate Lawyer and still makes more money than either of us....Oh, and he will remain healthy while doing it.

[BoulderSooner79]

Maybe Sam gets disenchanted with the NFL and switches to golf. He fills the void left by Tiger (on the links, not in Vegas) and becomes the next billion $ athlete with no 250lb LBs chasing him. :)

[Frozen Sooner]

Don't forget... he was also thinking about his future after football.

He's graduating with a degree from OU, GPA around 3.9, and after a career in the NFL in what looks to be a top ten draft position, will go on to do more things with his finance degree. There was discussion about him possibly going to law school after NFL.

He made the right choice. I don't doubt him one bit.

Boomer Sooner, Bradford!

He's been working with the OU School of Law to work a part-time curriculum around his pro football schedule, whatever it might be. At least that's what one of the law school recruiters told me.

[sooneredaco]

Maybe Sam gets disenchanted with the NFL and switches to golf. He fills the void left by Tiger (on the links, not in Vegas) and becomes the next billion $ athlete with no 250lb LBs chasing him. :)

Can you imagine! Bradford and Kim tearing up the links... That would be awesome!

I don't know that it would be as cool as seeing him wearing a purple #14 Jersey handing the ball off to #28 while having #71 block for him, but that a long shot anyways. Minnesota Sooners. Has a ring to it.....

[texas bandman]

I know that Sam loved the University of Oklahoma enough to forgo millions of dollars. Even though he didn't lead us to number 8, he'll be one of my favorite Sooners of all time. He thought more of his team and school than the lure of money. Thanks for all the memories, Sam!

[JLEW1818]

I look at it like this..

1. It looks like to me Sam has been able to fill out that frame some more which is good...

2. Despite the shoulder injury, he is still able to work on the non throwing aspects of being a quarterback..footwork, watch a ton of film, etc..pretty much a year dedicated to just study...He hasn't had to really get prepared for one opponent from one week to the next, but look at the general improvements, read, etc that he needs to learn how to make

3. The rest of his body has pretty much had a year off to recover from any other lingering injuries and get a lot of rest..

So are you kinda saying that every qb should take a year off before entering the draft or something? Or Sam was not ready? He would have developed during the NFL offseason too (more physically). Sam would have had a full offseason with a NFL team as well.. and yes probably not the lions, but maybe.

I guess it does not really matter now. Just glad he didn't get hurt worse.

If he could do it all over again, knowing the outcome, i don't think he would... lol.. i don't know anybody who would.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Not saying it at all..Its what happened..he made the decision..how can he make the best out of what happened...

My post was nothing about the right or wrong of his decision...it doesnt really matter if it was right or wrong..

READ THE POST

[JLEW1818]

Child Please..:D

I'm just saying for the people who think Sam got so much damn better coming back to OU, are incorrect... that's all

I'm sure they think Gresham made the right decision too

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Oh..Well I don't think I said that....

Do you even watch football?

[JLEW1818]

I know you didn't say it... that is what i was trying to get out of u!


as far as watching football, take the points in all 4 games.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I aint listenin to you

[VA Sooner]

Maybe Sam gets disenchanted with the NFL and switches to golf. He fills the void left by Tiger (on the links, not in Vegas) and becomes the next billion $ athlete with no 250lb LBs chasing him. :)




I didn't realize Tiger's wife was 250 pounds? :D :D

[TMcGee86]

it's real easy to compare him with, say, Jimmy Clausen . . . (and) start bringing out the negatives: 'Well, he was in a system that doesn't translate to the NFL. Little bit undersized. Durability issues. Never saw him in tough game situations.' "All of a sudden that negativity starts rolling and rolling and rolling and before you know it he winds up in the second round."

Clausen: 6'3" 223lbs

Bradford: 6'4" 223lbs.


Jesus Christ McShay, do you do any research at all. :rolleyes:


And for that matter, how ****ing big do you need a QB to be? 6'7" 280?

[Frozen Sooner]

Clausen: 6'3" 223lbs

Bradford: 6'4" 223lbs.


Jesus Christ McShay, do you do any research at all. :rolleyes:


And for that matter, how ****ing big do you need a QB to be? 6'7" 280?

Hey, say what you will, but Duante Culpepper and Jamarcus Russell are AWESOME!!!

[stoops the eternal pimp]

:mad:

[JLEW1818]

so when will LA get a team? Jacksonville jags??

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Oh havent you heard...The Jags are gonna draft a mid round talent in the 1st round and then people will start comin to games:rolleyes:

[Scott D]

Hey, say what you will, but Duante Culpepper and Jamarcus Russell are AWESOME!!!

God how I hearken for the days of Ryan Leaf throwing that guaranteed pick six to Charles Woodson in the Murph.