Ahmad Bradshaw

Ahmad Bradshaw was born in Bluefield, West Virginia to Diana Davis and James Bradshaw, and played high school football, basketball and ran track at Graham High School. He was ranked as the #7 player in Virginia and the #28 cornerback prospect in the country by Rivals.com. He rushed for 2,282 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior and 2,557 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior, totaling 5,265 yards and 92 touchdowns while averaging nearly ten yards a carry for his high school career. He earned All-Virginia honors and was named VHSL AA Player of the Year.

Bradshaw was also on the Graham High track & field team, where he competed as a sprinter and jumper. In sprints, he recorded times of 6.75 seconds in the 55 metres and 11.34 seconds in the 100 meters. In jumping events, he got a personal-best leap of 1.80 meters in the high jump.^[1]

Bradshaw originally signed a letter of intent to Virginia and arrived in Charlottesville for football practice, but was kicked off the team by Al Groh before his first season started, after being arrested for underage drinking and running from police.^[2] He then enrolled at Marshall University, where his college career would result in his induction into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame.^[3]

With the Thundering Herd, Bradshaw only had 462 yards and three touchdowns in his freshman season in 2004,^[4] but also totaled 187 yards receiving on 14 receptions for two touchdowns. He missed two games that season, the Georgia and Miami games, due to an ankle sprain sustained during a stellar fourth quarter performance at Ohio State. He also recorded nine punt returns for 108 yards and 15 kick returns for 322 yards as a freshman. Bradshaw rushed for a then career-high 145 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown run, in just eight first half carries against Western Michigan. His other signature performance of the season came against Kansas State University, when he took a screen pass 75-yards for a score.

Bradshaw rushed for 997 yards^[5] and totaled 1,382 all-purpose yards en route to becoming a second-team All-Conference USA selection as a sophomore in 2005. He was the team's leading rusher and receiver as well. In the season-opener against William & Mary, Bradshaw rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown with 73 yards and a score receiving. He rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in the loss to #3 Virginia Tech. He followed it up with a then career-high 133 yards against the University of Texas at El Paso and eclipsed the mark the following week in the Herd's overtime loss to Southern Miss with 150 yards and a score. Bradshaw's best performance came against East Carolina, when he rushed for a season and career-high 187 yards with two touchdowns along with 51 yards on eight receptions. He added a season-long 56-yard run against ECU as well.

Bradshaw's best season of his college career came as a junior in 2006, when he totaled 1,523 yards rushing, for 19 touchdowns, and 129 receiving yards for two scores. He was eighth in the nation in rushing yardage and tied for third in rushing touchdowns. In the Herd's second game of the season against Hofstra, Bradshaw ran for 152 yards and four touchdowns. Against the University of Central Florida, he ran for 181 yards and a score. Bradshaw's first out of two 200-yard games of the season came two weeks later against the University of Alabama-Birmingham, when he rushed for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Against UTEP, he rushed for career-highs of 261 yards and five touchdowns.

^[6][7]

Bradshaw was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round with the 250th overall pick of the 2007 NFL draft.^[9] In his first two games, Bradshaw fumbled twice on kickoff returns. He was fourth in the National Football Conference with a 26.0-yard kickoff return average when the Giants replaced him with veteran Reuben Droughns. Bradshaw returned to returning kickoffs for the November 18 game against the Detroit Lions.

Injuries to teammates Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward, and the disappointing play of Droughns, gave Bradshaw his first regular season carries against the Minnesota Vikings. He gained 29 yards on four carries in the game. On December 23, 2007, he scored his first NFL touchdown on an 88-yard run in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills. It was the third longest run in Giants history and the longest run of the 2007 season.^[10] He finished the game with a career-high 151 yards on 17 carries.^[11]

Bradshaw was used more frequently as a change of pace back to Jacobs during the Giants 2007 playoff run. He had a great performance in the NFC Championship game in Green Bay, including a 52-yard would-be touchdown run in the fourth quarter that was negated by a holding penalty. He contributed greatly to his team's success in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots, gaining 45 yards (the most of all running backs) and even recovering a fumble by quarterback Eli Manning. The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl, defeating the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17−14, and ending their opponent's bid for a perfect 19–0 season.

Bradshaw averaged 6.7 yards per carry as the third running back for the Giants in 2008. He was reduced to third string running back due to a strong performance by Derrick Ward, who finished the season with more than 1,000 rushing yards.

In 2009, Bradshaw was second string running back behind Brandon Jacobs with Derrick Ward's departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He rushed for a then career-high 778 yards and 7 touchdowns on the season. Bradshaw also had a career receiving long play of 55 yards.

Bradshaw was promoted to first-string running back ahead of Brandon Jacobs in 2010, due to Jacobs's disappointing 2009 season. After a two turnover game against the Eagles in Week 9, Bradshaw was demoted to make room for Brandon Jacobs's return. Bradshaw led the league in turnovers (for running backs) for most of the 2010 season.

Despite these obstacles, Bradshaw finished the season with career highs in rushing yards (1,235) and rushing touchdowns (8).

In 2011, Bradshaw signed a four-year deal worth $18 million and $9 million guaranteed with a $5 million bonus. In Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, Bradshaw recorded three touchdowns in a 27−24 Giants win.^[12] He was benched for the first half of a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14 due to an alleged curfew violation. Bradshaw rushed for nine touchdowns during the season, a career-high mark.^[13]

Bradshaw scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown with a 6-yard run with 57 seconds remaining in Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots. The touchdown was unusual in that the Patriots permitted Bradshaw to score unopposed, to prevent the Giants from running out most of the remaining time before winning the game with a field goal. Bradshaw, aware of the Patriots' strategy, attempted to stop himself from crossing the goal line but fell backward into the end zone. The Patriots failed to score, however, and the Giants thus won 21−17.^[14]

 

Although Bradshaw mostly played along rookie David Wilson for the starting role, he had a fairly decent season. Bradshaw missed only two games due to injuries to his knee and foot. Despite having his minutes declining because of Wilson, He played in 14 games, had 221 rushing attempts, 1,015 rushing yards, and 6 touchdowns. It was the second time in his career that Bradshaw had 1,000+ rushing yards (the first being in 2010).^[5] On October 7, during a Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns, Bradshaw carried the ball 30 times for 200 yards, with 1 touchdown, a 4-yard run; he also had 4 receptions for 29 yards, giving him 229 yards of total offense. The Giants would win against the Browns 41−27.^[15]

Bradshaw was released by the Giants on February 6, 2013, to clear cap space and after the emergence of the rookie David Wilson.^[16]

 

On June 11, 2013, Bradshaw signed with the Indianapolis Colts.^[17] After an injury sustained in Week 3, Bradshaw was put on injured reserve due to needing neck surgery.^[18]

On March 11, 2014, Bradshaw reached a one-year agreement to re-sign with the Colts. Prior to his injury in Week 6, Bradshaw had a career-high six touchdown receptions, leading all NFL running backs, and was on pace to break Marshall Faulk's record of 9.^[19][20][21]

On October 14, 2015, Bradshaw agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Colts. On November 30, he was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a wrist injury.^[22] Bradshaw participated in The Spring League in April 2017.^[23]

In 2004, Bradshaw was dismissed from the football team at the University of Virginia after pleading guilty to underage drinking and resisting arrest. After police attempted to break up a party, he fled the scene in an effort to avoid them. The results were two misdemeanor convictions and a probationary sentence. Bradshaw never played a down for the Virginia Cavaliers.^[25]

During his junior year at Marshall University, Bradshaw was sentenced to two years probation for petty larceny. He stole a PlayStation from another student's dormitory room. Two years later in June 2008, he was sentenced to 60 days in Abingdon Regional Jail for violating probation for a sealed juvenile charge.^[26] Bradshaw cut a deal in which he was able to serve his time in the off-season. In 2008, he served 29 days and reported to training camp on time. On February 15, 2009, he surrendered himself to Virginia authorities in order to finish the final 31 days of his sentence.^[27]

Bradshaw also attended the party where wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh. Bradshaw was not aware Burress had a gun.^[28]

On June 22, 2015, Bradshaw was suspended for one game by the NFL for violating the league's policy and program of substance abuse. Bradshaw was charged with possession of marijuana.^[29]

Bradshaw appeared on Onion SportsDome in 2011.^[30]

• Marshall Thundering Herd bio
•   Media related to Ahmad Bradshaw at Wikimedia Commons