Wes Bradshaw Explained

Wes Bradshaw
Birth Date:26 November 1897
Birth Place:Athens, Texas, U.S.
Death Place:Athens, Texas, U.S.
Player Sport1:Football
Player Years2:1921–1922
Player Team2:Baylor
Player Years3:1924
Player Team3:Rock Island Independents
Player Years4:1926
Player Team4:Buffalo Rangers
Player Sport5:Basketball
Player Years6:1921–1922
Player Team6:Baylor
Player Sport7:Baseball
Player Years8:1922
Player Team8:Baylor
Player Positions:Halfback
Coach Sport1:Football
Coach Years2:?–1947
Coach Team2:Hardin–Simmons (assistant)
Coach Years3:1948–1949
Coach Team3:Ouachita Baptist
Coach Sport4:Basketball
Coach Years5:1940–1942
Coach Team5:Ouachita Baptist
Coach Years6:1945–1947
Coach Team6:Hardin–Simmons
Coach Years7:1948–1950
Coach Team7:Ouachita Baptist
Overall Record:87–72 (basketball)

Wesley Walker Bradshaw (November 26, 1897 – April 10, 1960) was an American football player and coach. He was an All-Southwest Conference (SWC) back at Baylor University and was the first Southwest Conference football player to score 100 points in a single season with 119 points scored during the 1922 college football season.

He earned the nickname of "Rabbit" for his running style on the field. "On the football field, he was one of the hardest guys to get hold of I ever saw. He wasn't great as a fast runner, but he was very shifty and had a great change of pace. He was very hard to catch," said Southern Methodist University player James Stewart.[1]

Bradshaw excelled in other sports at Baylor as well. He was a letterman in basketball, track, and baseball.[2]

As a professional athlete, Bradshaw played for the Rock Island Independents (1924) in the position of half right. Jim Thorpe was among his teammates. He also played for the Buffalo Rangers (1926) in the National Football League (NFL).

After his professional career, Bradshaw became a high school football coach at Athens High School in Athens, Texas. He was appointed to the post June 4, 1925. He was also charged with coaching the basketball team. Bradshaw was the third coach at the school in as many years, and local boosters were reportedly concerned about his salary. Local businesses footed the bill. In January 1927, Bradshaw was injured in a traffic accident. A motor bus, carrying Baylor students to a basketball game in Austin, collided with a fast International-Great Northern Railroad train, killing 10 students and injuring five. Bradshaw was accompanying the party as a guest of the Baylor coach.[3]

Bradshaw later coached at Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth, Texas and at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas in the 1940s.

He was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in 1961.[2] He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1966.[1]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: tshof.org: Inductees . 2008-03-03 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141026212447/http://tshof.org/inductees/index.html?staff_id=62 . dead .
  2. Web site: Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame . 2008-03-03 . 2008-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080101185923/http://baylorbears.cstv.com/genrel/112003aab.html . dead .
  3. News: 10 athletes killed, 5 injured in Texas, as train hits bus . . January 23, 1927 .