Long Journey to Indiana for JUCO Transfer Chris Bradberry

Offensive lineman Chris Bradberry has made a few stops along the way, but now he's thrilled to be in Bloomington and spend his last two years with the Hoosiers.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It's not just the miles that define Chris Bradberry's long journey from southern California to Indiana. It's all about the journey, too.

When he left Rancho Cucamonga, a Los Angeles suburb, for San Jose State in 2017, he learned quickly that he wasn't ready to play at that level. He redshirted that freshman year, but decided to transfer to a junior college to better find his way as a player. The two years at Riverside City College helped him grow up, as both a player and a person.

"Going the JUCO route really helped me a lot,'' Bradberry told Sports Illustrated during a phone interview. "I've been able to sit back and learn, I've got much better technique now, and I've grown up. It's definitely prepared me for the next level. I feel like I'm a much better player now than I was two years ago. Much better.''

A second opportunity to get recruited was a blessing, too. Now much more confident in his abilities, he cherished the chance to find the right fit. He had nearly a dozen offers, but to him, Indiana was a perfect fit. 

He committed on May 11, finished his finals in early June and finally arrived in Bloomington on Thursday, ready to get to work with his head coach, Tom Allen, and his position coach, Darren Hiller.

"Coach Allen and Coach Hiller, what they want in a team is exactly what I want in a team,'' Bradberry said. "It's a brotherhood there at Indiana, and that LEO philosophy, that's nothing new to me. They're great guys, and they've been nothing but truthful to me throughout the entire process. I'm excited to be there.''

During the recruiting process, Bradberry said he did his due diligence on all of his suitors. One of the things that also appealed to him was the long list of Indiana offensive linemen who have made it to the NFL, including Jason Spriggs, Rodger Safford, Dan Feeney, Brandon Knight, Wes Martin and, most recently, Simon Stepaniak.

"I really like that they've produced so many NFL offensive linemen there,'' Bradberry said. "They have a good track record for that, and I'm looking forward to being part of that position group. There are a lot of good players there, and from what I can tell, a lot of really great guys.''

Bradberry thinks he'll be a good fit, too. He's ready to play a Big Ten schedule, and measure his skills against the best in America.

"I like the idea of playing in the Big Ten,'' he said. "I've watched a lot of film and a lot of highlights, and I can tell they like athletic lineman. I feel like I'm pretty athletic too, and that I will fit in well there. My strength is in my pass protection, but I'm good with the run, too.''

Bradberry is thrilled to finally make it to campus. 

"I wanted to come for a visit, but then the pandemic hit and that was out. But they did a good job of showing me around virtually,'' he said. "I watched a lot of videos of the campus and saw a lot of pictures. I did all my research, and I can really see myself being happy there.''

He's looking forward to getting into the weight room and get to know his new teammates. 

"I'm about 288 now, but I'm ready to get to work and put on more weight, more muscle,'' Bradberry said." I've heard nothing but great things about (strength coach (Aaron) Wellman, and I'm excited to work with him.''

Allen is glad to have Bradberry in the fold. The one position group that really got hit hard by graduation was the offensive line. They recruited that area heavily, but didn't want all young guys. So Bradberry and Stanford graduate transfer Dylan Powell also add experience to the room. 

"We welcome Chris to our football family," Allen said. "He adds experience and depth at offensive tackle. We expect Chris to contribute immediately."