Sam Bradford's college QB coach talked him out of quitting football
After tearing his ACL for the second time in less than a year, Sam Bradford thought about walking away from the game. He might have, too, if not for a pep talk from his college quarterbacks coach, Josh Heupel.
"It was one of those moments where, after all the time and energy and passion that he poured into rehabilitating himself in the first injury, you feel like you're snakebitten," Heupel told Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "You don't know when, if, or how your body is going to respond and what your next opportunity is. You're really just in a lot of limbo. Sometimes, I think, just having a voice from an outside perspective is something that can be valuable."
Bradford missed all of 2014 as a result of the injury, which occurred in the St. Louis Rams' third preseason game. His last full season came in 2012, when he threw for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions en route to a 7-8-1 finish.
Heupel, who quarterbacked Oklahoma to a national championship in 2000 and coached at the school from 2006 to 2010, said Bradford was disappointed because he had been determined to come back and prove himself.
"When a player goes through a big letdown, it's natural to be down," Heupel said. "I just tried to reach out to him and say, 'Hey, I still see this in you as a person and a player. I think the best is yet to come for you. You've got to get yourself healthy and get yourself back on the field and get yourself in the right environment with the right people and the right supporting cast around you, and there's no doubt in my mind you'll achieve the things you're capable of achieving and want to achieve.'
"Nothing changed for him from a guy who was the No. 1 overall draft pick as far as who or what he is as a person and a competitor, and ultimately that's why there's no doubt in my mind he's going to reach the pinnacle of success."
Bradford was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month and Heupel thinks the fresh start will be good for him.
"If he's 100 percent healthy," Heupel said, "he'll be able to perform at an elite level."