New York Giants’ Bradshaw Can’t Outrun Past

BY MICHAEL L. OWENS
and BRIAN T. SMITH

A checkered past and fame’s downside might be the only opponents New York Giants running back and Super Bowl XLII standout Ahmad Bradshaw can’t outrun.

Brushes with the law have shadowed much of Bradshaw’s football career. One encounter cost him a college scholarship, while another nearly derailed his chance to play in the NFL.

The latest demon on Bradshaw’s heels involves a legal technicality that his lawyer and Tazewell County, Va., court officials refuse to explain. Somehow, the 22-year-old from Bluefield, Va., violated a probation order that stems from a transgression committed before his draft last year into the NFL, and while he was a juvenile.

Bradshaw has been in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, Va., since last Sunday, serving a 30-day jail sentence that is slated to end before he has to report to Giants training camp on July 24.

Though Bradshaw has a history of self-destructing just after achieving a shining triumph, hiin s supporters believe that fame, and the jealousy it can induce in others, might play a role in this latest incident.

“The way it appears to me [coming] out of the blue like this, it definitely appears to me that there’s definitely somebody jealous,” said Bradshaw’s former Graham High

School football coach, Glynn Carlock Jr., now the boys basketball coach at the school.

“I will go as far to say that I saw this happen some in high school ... because of the success that we had. People want to sabotage him,” Carlock added.

History

As a University of Virginia football recruit in 2004, Bradshaw lost his scholarship to underage drinking before he had a chance to hit the field. It was during the school’s summer session that police spotted him outside a bar one night holding a cup of alcohol, reports state. When asked for his name, Bradshaw lied and then ran. Police reported chasing him for several hundred yards before tackling him and using pepper spray to end the ensuing scuffle.

A judge handed down a minor punishment – a suspended 10-day jail sentence and a suspended $200 fine, court records show.

The truly punishing blow came when Cavaliers coach Al Groh immediately booted Bradshaw off the team.

So, Bradshaw turned to Marshall University, where he shone. In 2006, the rising star decided to skip his fourth year of college for a shot at the 2007 NFL draft.

Bradshaw was a contender as an early round draft pick until he stole a video game system from a fellow student’s dorm room. Bradshaw pleaded guilty to petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to two years probation, court records show.

Again, the courts were more lenient than the football community. While nearly every NFL team soured on Bradshaw, the Giants were the only team to overlook this foible, and drafted him in the seventh round.

Present

Not only are the circumstances of Bradshaw’s current probation violation a secret, but the original charge has been sealed by a juvenile and domestic relations court judge, suggesting the original transgression occurred before Bradshaw was 18.

Bradshaw’s attorney, Charles A. Stacy of Bluefield, Va., had not returned three of the Herald Courier’s telephone calls seeking comment by Saturday evening.

“It’s a shame that these kids get in the limelight, and it [does] get magnified, because, you know, nobody’s perfect and people make mistakes, but one of his minor mistakes turned into a major mistake,” said Richlands High School football coach Greg Mance, who once barked orders to Bradshaw’s on-field rivals.

It remains unknown whether the NFL’s ongoing investigation into the jail stint will lead to a suspension for breaching the league’s personal conduct policy.

“No determination has been made of how this situation will or won’t affect his playing career,” Giants’ Vice President of Communications Pat Hanlon told the Herald Courier on Friday.

One thing is clear: Bradshaw’s latest fracas has a timing similar to the others in his past – it comes just after a triumph.

Just months ago, Bradshaw capped his NFL rookie year with a Super Bowl ring, and he earned it by rushing for 45 yards and recovering a fumble in a game that dashed the New England Patriots’ dream of a perfect season.

As a bonus, Bradshaw’s high school alma mater, Graham High School, retired his jersey several weeks ago. A newly erected sign in Bluefield even proclaims his status as a Super Bowl champ.

Bradshaw’s supporters believe this recent honor somehow brought about his current jail stay.

“To be honest with you, what I see happening, somebody’s been driving through the main town of Bluefield, Va., they see the sign, it’s brought back memories, they’ve probably got upset about something ... and they’ve brought this to the forefront,” Carlock said.

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