Former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is getting highlighted by his Native American Tribe.
The Cherokee Nation announced the premiere of "ᏣᎳᎩ: Wherever We Are Cherokees in Pro Sports," a special episode of a series that will highlight professional athletes with Cherokee heritage. The episode will premiere at noon CT Saturday, and you can get a link of the premiere sent to you by registering here.
Bradford is one of several Cherokee citizens to reach the highest level of their sport, including St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, former professional bull rider Ryan Dirteater and former Canadian Football League quarterback Mason Fine.
Fine, who became the all-time leading passer in the state of Oklahoma and at North Texas under Seth Littrell, has credited Bradford as a role model growing up because of their shared Cherokee heritage.
The Cherokee Nation, one of the Five Civilized Tribes, has over 466,000 citizens, most of which live in Oklahoma.
Bradford, from Oklahoma City, became the first Cherokee citizen to start for a Division-I football team since 1972 when he debuted for the Sooners in 2007. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2008, becoming the first Cherokee to do so, and was named a consensus All-American that same season.
After a successful college career, Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. He went on to play for nine seasons between the Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.
On April 28, 2023, Bradford was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City because of his accomplishments as a quarterback.