COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — A former Tennessee standout overcame four knee surgeries to start for the Green Bay Packers.
WREG reported, Hunter Bradley played tight end in high school and later moved to being a long snapper.
A few years later, Bradley would be one of the few athletes drafted as a long snapper.
“All of a sudden we were all sitting in the den and Hunter gets a call and it’s from the GM from the Green Bay Packers and the head coach,” said Hunter’s dad, Mike Bradley. “They told him he was getting drafted. So, it was pretty cool. We were all in the living room when it happened and it was something we will never forget.”
Bradley was selected in the 7th round of the 2018 NFL Draft to the Green Bay Packers. He’s one of 14 long snappers to ever be drafted to the NFL.
WREG reported, Bradley’s road to the pros was far from easy.
“After his junior year, going into his senior year we were in the summer doing 7-on-7 practice and he tore his ACL in his right leg and got over that missed a season,” Mike Bradley said. “Went down to [Mississippi] State and [he] tore his left leg right when he got going, he tore his left one. Got over that, rehabbed, come back the next year he tore the right one again. So, he’s had three ACL surgeries and also a meniscus surgery.”
“You know it was tough. It was tough for a dad, especially his senior year, you can’t wait to have one more year with him, coaching him. He looses that in one play, but he don’t let things bother him. He gets over it and finds a way. He’s always been like that.”
Bradley is a tight end at heart, playing the position throughout high school and his talents got him a scholarship to play for Mississippi State.
But after the injuries, he moved to long snapper something he got from his father, Mike.
“I long snapped in college,” said Mike Bradley. “So, when he was young. I taught him how to long snap because I always told him it was a fall back plan. When he got in high school, he did it for us, but it was kind of like something I do on the side. Then when he got to Mississippi State and he had is his third ACL injury, Coach [Dan] Mullen said hey I know you can long snap, let’s focus on this. So, he put all of his eggs in that basket and it just took off.”
Bradley now starts at long snapper for the Packers, preparing to help his team get the Super Bowl.
“He’s taught me a lot about overcoming adversity and overcoming obstacles,” Mike Bradley said.
WREG reported, throughout college, Bradley wore a wrist band that said “don’t doubt me” — words he continues to live by today.
Copyright 2021 WVLT via WREG. All rights reserved.
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Former Tenn. standout overcomes four knee surgeries, starts for the Packers - WVLT
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