UVa.-Wise Senior Brad Ricker Prepares for Final Game with Cavs

WISE, Va. – The realization that it’s nearly over hasn’t fully sunk in yet for Brad Ricker, a senior wide receiver at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

When he dons his white No. 86 jersey Saturday afternoon when UVa.-Wise plays at Faulkner (Ala.) University, it will be for the final football game of his life.

“It’s pretty hard for me to believe, really,” Ricker said. “I think I’ve been pretty successful here.”

It’s a typical response from Ricker, a laid-back kid who very rarely toots his own horn or lauds his own achievements. He has been pretty successful at UVa.-Wise and has worked his way into becoming a key part of the offense.

Sure, he hasn’t earned All-Mid South Conference honors or put up eye-popping numbers, but he’s been steady and reliable.

“He’s been great to coach,” said UVa.-Wise offensive coordinator Dewey Lusk. “We’re going to miss him at the end of the season.”

The Beginning
When Ricker arrived on campus at UVa.-Wise during the summer of 2006, he wasn’t highly-touted.

Lusk, who used to live in the Bristol area, had seen Ricker play at John Battle High School and knew the skills the speedy standout possessed. As a senior, Ricker had six touchdown receptions and was an All-Hogoheegee District performer.

Yet, those skills were many times overshadowed by Battle’s struggles on the gridiron. The Trojans were 1-9, 1-9, 2-8 and 0-10 in his four seasons at the Washington County school.

But upon the recommendation of Dan Strong, Ricker’s coach during his senior year at Battle, UVa.-Wise offered Ricker a chance to continue his career.

“He kind of came in as an unknown,” said UVa.-Wise head coach Bruce Wasem. “He’s a quiet, unassuming kid and not one of those that will walk in and say ‘you better take advantage of what I have.’ He’s a worker and he kept working at it. He never quit working.”

Coming in with a recruiting class that included known performers from powerhouse programs from across the state, Ricker was easily overlooked. That provided him with plenty of motivation.

“When I got up here, everybody was probably thinking coming from an 0-10 school and not having much success, that I couldn’t do anything,” Ricker said. “I felt like I had to prove myself a lot.”

Ricker did catch the eye of the coaching staff with a strong performance against Emory & Henry in a junior varsity game. However, he didn’t get on the field in any varsity games that fall.

Many players can’t deal with going from a prep standout that played nearly every down to being buried on a college depth chart, but it didn’t rattle Ricker.

“There was never a question of that with him,” Lusk said. “He had to just keep battling and keep working. Once he got in the flow of things and the speed of the game at this level, he did exactly what I thought he would. By his sophomore year he was ready to go.”

Ricker officially arrived during that sophomore season in a homecoming game against Georgetown (Ky.) College. Both teams were ranked among the top 10 in the NAIA’s national poll and a large crowd was in attendance.

In the first quarter of UVa.-Wise’s 63-56 win, Ricker hauled in a 45-yard reception and motored into the end zone for his first career collegiate TD. The former unknown had cemented himself as a key target.

“That was definitely a highlight for me,” Ricker said.

Reliable Ricker
Ricker might be a star at some small colleges, but he’s had to share the wealth with fellow receivers Matt Barbour, Aric Evans and Jason Lovett at UVa.-Wise. The quartet has helped the offense shatter several school records over the past four seasons and post plenty of wins.

While Ricker could be bitter that he’s had to share the spotlight, instead he’s enjoyed playing alongside his fellow pass-catchers.

“I’ve learned a lot from them three,” Ricker said. “Just little stuff, like getting open, cutting routes off shorter, finding open creases and reading defenders.”

While today will be his last football game for the Highland Cavaliers, it will not be his final performance at UVa.-Wise. He still has two years of eligibility remaining for the school’s baseball team and he hit .371 with 16 RBIs and 11 stolen bases last spring for the Cavs.

But football is where he made his mark and he’ll look to end his career on a high note Saturday. He needs just 57 yards to become the 11th player in program history to reach the 1,000-yard career receiving mark.

“He’s just one of those kids that do everything the right way and when he commits, he commits,” Wasem said. “No matter what’s happening, he’s not going to pout or quit. He’s just going to give it his best.”