ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 30, 1996 TAG: 9601300082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
CARL BRADLEY, a Roanoke Times Top 25 defensive lineman from Lynchburg, picks Virginia Tech with a little help from his mom.
In the pursuit of a prospective student-athlete, it never hurts to recruit the mother. Just ask Carl Bradley.
Bradley's mother, Bernadine, accompanied him on his visit to Virginia Tech, and one week later he announced Monday he will sign a letter of intent with the Hokies.
``She was a real big part of my decision,'' said Bradley, a first-team All-Group AAA defensive end from E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg. ``I wanted to do what was best for me and her.
``She really loved it when she went down there with me. We talked about it when I got back and she told me it would really please her if I signed with Tech. She could always come down or I could come up and see her.''
Bradley, a 6-foot-4, 270-pounder, was rated the No.15 prospect in the state by The Roanoke Times. He is the eighth Top 25 player to commit to the Hokies, who also have a shot at West Springfield running back Damone Boone, the No.9 player on the list.
Boone is expected to make his decision after visiting Maryland this coming weekend.
Bradley chose Tech after visiting Pittsburgh and canceling trips to Florida and South Carolina. Florida was a serious threat until Gators assistant coach Bob Pruett, who had recruited him, resigned to become the head coach at Marshall.
``If somebody had offered me more than Tech academically and athletically, then I would have gone there,'' said Bradley, who had 145 tackles and 17 sacks as a senior. ``I didn't want to make a hasty decision.''
Bradley, who has been timed in 4.85 seconds for 40 yards, never played organized football until he moved to Lynchburg from Chicago before the ninth grade.
``I disliked football,'' said Bradley, born in Joliet, Ill. ``I wrestled in junior high, but they didn't have a football team. The wrestling coach here convinced me to try out for football. I was ready to quit after three days, till my teammates talked me out of it.''
Bradley has a 2.8 grade-point average and a score of 800 on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), 20 points less than the NCAA's qualifying standard for freshman eligibility.
In other recruiting, Penn State received a commitment from Tech target Courtney Brown, rated the No.1 linebacker in the country by SuperPrep magazine. Less than two weeks ago, the general consensus was the Hokies' chief competition was Georgia Tech.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines KEYWORDS: FOOTBALLby CNB