After suffering a torn labrum in spring practice, University of Toledo redshirt freshman quarterback Carter Bradley viewed the injury as a blessing in disguise.
After a true freshman season in which he mainly observed quarterbacks Mitch Guadagni and Eli Peters on the field during games, a spring injury to begin his redshirt freshman season may have been a setback for most players.
That’s not how Bradley approached the time he missed with the injury.
“Taking a step back is always the hardest thing for me to do, but I think it was the best thing,” Bradley said. “It humbled me like no other. I honestly feel like it was one of the greatest things that happened to me. Honestly, I don’t even really think it was a setback. I think it was a good chance for me to kind of look at the spring and kind of visualize a lot of things and get my mind prepared for coming into the summer. From a leadership aspect, it was a great opportunity for me. A lot of people are going to look at me and how I respond.”
After April surgery, Bradley is 100 percent healthy and back on the field in fall camp.
His resiliency and positive approach to dealing with the injury has caught the eye of Toledo coach Jason Candle.
“Carter has done a really good job considering what Carter’s situation is,” Candle said. “To be able to miss the amount of spring football he had to miss and to come back – it’s hard being an outsider when you are injured through summer workouts and spring football. It’s hard to stay mentally focused and locked in and I give that kid a lot of credit because he has done an awesome job. He’s a guy that is invested and does a really good job preparing, and sometimes it’s hard to do that when you are not physically present.”
Bradley is entrenched in a fall battle for the starter job with Guadagni, Peters, fellow redshirt freshman Cross Wilkinson, and true freshman Dequan Finn.
Bradley said it is his job to demand the best not only from himself, but also the other quarterbacks, as well.
“I just have to come in and compete every day and make everybody around me better no matter what,” Bradley said. “I have to have Mitch, Eli, [Dequan], and Cross’ back every play. They are the same way with me. We are such a tight-knit group in that room that there is no bad blood. We are always pulling for each other to win the rep. My main objective is just to compete every day.”
Looking to gain any edge he can, Bradley said he is a big proponent of studying film to be prepared for every practice.
“This is a big mental game,” Bradley said. “You want to come out here every day prepared like it’s a game. That’s how I look at it. The more you prepare the less you have a fear of failure.”
Bradley played in three games last season and completed 4 of 8 passes for 54 yards. He said his main focus was learning the playbook, improving in practice, and learning from Guadagni and Peters.
“From the maturity standpoint it was a big thing,” Bradley said of the redshirt season. “I just had to keep my head in the playbook and also be there for them and be ready no matter what. You never know what could happen. Those guys are the best – not just great players, but they are great friends of mine. Learning from them last year and going through practice and maturing were the biggest things.”
Bradley was a highly sought after recruit out of Providence School in Jacksonville, Fla. He was a consensus top-20 pro-style quarterback prospect and turned away bigger programs to play at Toledo.
“I tore my ACL my senior year of high school,” Bradley said. “I had all the big offers and I had all that but it was just finding real people. God put me in the best place possible I feel with Toledo. The people here are unbelievable. They are the most genuine people I’ve ever met in my life. And I was born in Fargo, North Dakota so I definitely know about the Midwest and this definitely felt like home.”
Another big push that drew Bradley to Toledo was the offensive track record of Candle and offensive coordinator Brian Wright.
“That’s another thing that stood out for me,” Bradley said. “Coach Candle and Coach Wright are the best. They support you. They help you. Anything you need you can come talk to them – life, football, anything. They are great about that and I can call them anytime. I feel like it’s a brotherhood here.”
With his injury behind him, Bradley is ready to put all he has into the quarterback competition.
“It was kind of a crazy deal, but it’s football and injuries happen,” Bradley said. “It’s always going to the next thing. It’s always rehab or if you have to have surgery like I did, it’s always staying positive. You have to stay positive and keep a good head on you. It’s going to be a process, but you have to love it.”
First Published August 9, 2019, 5:05 p.m.
