When Jackson Bradley transferred to Bishop Kenny High School, he knew he would have big shoes to fill on their football team. The starting quarterback before him, John Wolford, rewrote the school and state record books during his time as the Crusaders’ signal caller.
Bradley says, “When I came [here], all I heard was his name. ‘Johnny this and Johnny that.’ I know him personally. He’s a really great guy and I respect him a lot. When I came in, I really didn’t have the idea of trying to replace him. I was just trying to do my own thing, because we’re different players. He does some things better than I do and vice versa.”
He may not have felt lost in Wolford’s shadow, but he knew the expectations for his new team were high. He wasn’t allowed to play in the spring game because of transfer policies, but he studied the playbook thoroughly and prepared himself to compete for the position in the fall.
“I worked so hard this offseason. I did so much speed and agility work, people wouldn’t even believe it. Every day I was doing ladders and sprints and stuff. My numbers in the weight room went way up. I really just worked as hard as I could to take my game to the next level.”
Bradley won the job to start the season and never looked back. He threw for 2,700 yards and 34 touchdowns, while completing 64% of his passes. He also ran for two scores. His stellar numbers caught the attention of the coaching staff at Villanova University, where he will enroll this fall. He understands the value of a quality education from a prestigious college 
and jumped at the opportunity when offered.
“I’m probably not going to go to the NFL, most guys aren’t going to go,” he says. “But I know a Villanova education will get me pretty far in whatever I do.”
He’s interested in becoming an engineer, because he’s good at math, but he also sees coaching in his future as well.
Bradley carries a 4.02 GPA and has his Calculus and Spanish 5 Advanced Placement Exams to look forward to in a few weeks. His work ethic comes from his parents, who stressed self-discipline from an early age. He admits balancing all of his responsibilities during the season can be difficult. He sticks to his day-to-day routine; there’s never a time where he feels he can slack off or skip something, or put it off until tomorrow. Academics are his priority, and his advice for struggling student-athletes is simple: change your priorities.
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A Day In the Life
5:30 a.m.-wake up
6:45-7:30-arrive at school/film session
7:30-8:00-before-school Calculus study hall
8:00-2:30 p.m.-class
3:00-5:30/6:00-practice
6:30/7:00-arrive back home (traffic willing)
7:00-9:00/10:00-dinner, homework, bedtime
Academic Athlete/ North Florida/ April 2015
Jackson Bradley
Bishop Kenny High School
Jacksonville, FL
Brandon Ibarra
BK Senior Takes Talents to Villanova
