Bill Bradley

William Calvin Bradley (born January 24, 1947) is an American former football player and coach. He played professionally as a safety, punter and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL), earning All-Pro honors twice. He played with the Philadelphia Eagles for most of his career. As an assistant coach he won two Grey Cups in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was also the defensive backs coach of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football.

Early life A native of Palestine, Texas, Bradley was a quarterback at Palestine High School. With Bradley as quarterback, Palestine won the 1964 Texas 3A State Championship, the only one in the school's history. His running and passing skills gained him selection as a high school All-American. He also participated in the Big 33 football game for the Texas All-Stars in 1966.

His father was a baseball coach and Bradley dreamed of playing professional baseball. He was a talented shortstop who was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 7th Round of the 1965 Major League Baseball draft. He was offered $20,000 to sign, but turned it down because he wanted to go to college. Instead, he played semi-pro ball with the Palestine Pals.

Records UT – Most passing yards, game (220 yards), broke his own record set earlier that year, surpassed by Rick McIvor in 1979 UT – Longest punt, bowl game (74 yards) UT – Most Offensive Yards, season (1,624), surpassed by Earl Campbell in 1977 Southwest Conference and UT – Most interceptions caught, game (4)

Bold means still active

NFL career Bradley was selected in the third round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles as a punter/defensive back. His first season he punted and returned kick-offs and punts. The next season, he was just the punter. In 1971, he finally moved to defense, became the back-up punter and was a returner again. It was on defense that he stood out. He went on to earn three All-Pro selections (1971–73) at free safety, including first-team All-Pro in 1971 and 1972. He also played in three Pro Bowls from 1971 to 1973. His last full season of punting was 1972. He continued returning kick-offs and punts off and on for the rest of his career. Bradley led the NFL in interceptions in both 1971 (11) and 1972 (9), the first player ever to lead the league in interceptions in consecutive seasons, a feat matched only once since. In 1971, he also led the NFL in yards after an interception with 248. These achievements did not draw widespread attention, though, as the Eagles' record for those 2 years was 6–7–1 and 2–11–1; and the Eagles never made the playoffs during Bradley's tenure. He played his final year as the Eagle free safety in 1976, replaced by John Sanders.

Bradley would later recount that during his years with the Eagles, he would spend nights out on dates with members of the Philadelphia Phillies usherettes.

In 1977, Philadelphia traded Bradley to the Minnesota Vikings for a 7th round draft pick, but the Vikings cut him in training camp in favor of Paul Krause. Bradley went into retirement, working in his family's restaurant in Palestine, but in November of that year he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals when Mike Sensibaugh broke his leg. He had been asked to come back by other teams – including Houston, Oakland and Pittsburgh, but only accepted with St. Louis because they looked to be playoff-bound. But they lost all their remaining games that season and stayed home. Bradley played four games as a defensive back with the Cardinals and then retired for good.

Bradley is a member of the Texas High School, University of Texas, Philadelphia Eagles and Texas Sports Halls of Fame.

During 2009 and 2010, he was the secondary coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. Bradley was hired to be the secondary coach of the Hartford Colonials in the UFL but the league pulled the plug on the team for lack of funds before he could coach a game.

In 2012, Bradley was hired by Ray Woodard as the defensive coordinator of the Lamar Cardinals football team. He retired from Lamar, and from coaching, in 2014, in part to help take care of his stepson who had suffered brain trauma as the result of a violent attack.

He came out of retirement to serve as linebackers coach in the 2023 Hula Bowl for Team Kai.