Red Raiders DL Tony Bradford Jr. Named Wuerffel Trophy Semifinalist
On Tuesday it was announced that Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive lineman Tony Bradford Jr. has been named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, the premier award in college football for community service.
Of the 12 semifinalists Bradford is the lone representative from the Big 12 for the reward, which "honors college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society and inspire greater service in the world.”
Ever since Bradford stepped foot on campus in Lubbock he became a vocal proponent in making sure the Red Raiders were active within the community in Lubbock, while also seeking positive changes in West Texas. As a result, he was named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team in September.
Thanks to Bradford's efforts the Texas Tech football program has committed over 2,000 hours of community service in just the last two years.
Their contributions include visits to local elementary and junior high schools, as well as the Ronald McDonald House, the Texas Boys Ranch, South Plains Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Burgers and Badges and area children’s homes.
Bradford regularly meets with local youth athletes to encourage them to be a positive example in their community. After the murder of George Floyd he helped organize community cleanups and voter registration drives in East Lubbock near the Texas Tech campus.
He also helped to organize peace walks on both Tech's campus and in East Lubbock to promote injustice issues as well as the need for peace in communities.
Bradford's continued work off the field and within the Lubbock community has led to him garnering respect throughout the Big 12. He is a longtime member of the Texas Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and this year was selected to represent Tech as part of the Big 12 Champions for Life campaign.
As well, he was previously selected this past fall as one of two Big 12 representatives on the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee Student-Athlete Connection Group.
Bradford was previously a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy as a junior in 2021 but is listed as a semifinalist for the first time in his career.
The Wuerffel Trophy will trim its semifinalists down to a select group of finalists Nov. 29 ahead of its scheduled announcement of the 2022 award recipient Dec. 8. The Wuerffel Trophy will be formally presented Feb. 24 at the All-Sports Association Award Banquet in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.