Anybody Else Just Sick For Bradford?

[Memphis Ram]

With so much focus on how his loss impacts the team this season, his contract and salary cap concerns, replacements now and in the future, and so on......has anyone really sat back and thought about how sick Bradford is right now?

The kid was a #1 pick in the NFL draft and went to an organization that over the years, poorly put pieces around him via coaching, players, and even strategy for his development. He gets hurt, rehabs like crazy to get back, and just when he finally gets his shot to play for what appears will be a very good team, he hurts the same knee he spent months rehabbing and is out for the season. Damn.

And it could only get worse for him, if Shaun Hill comes in and has a Rich Gannon like late career success story with his team. Perhaps, the only person that could possibly even come close to understanding would probably be Trent Green.

 

[12intheBox]

I can't say that I have handled this in a level headed manner, or anything that closely resembles that - but I really have glossed over how Sam must feel.

Yeah, he is rich - but he wanted this and worked his butt off for it.

 

[SaneRamsFan]

Forget about the game-my prayers are out there for Sam and his family.

 

[ozarkram]

I agree you got to feel for the guy. With all the heat and yes hate that has been dumped on him.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I don't feel too bad for Sam. He has a great life. Football legend at Oklahoma. Top dog at his high school. Probably had his choice of chicks all those years. Would never have trouble finding a job. Doesn't need to get a job if he isn't dumb about his money. There are a lot of people in this country that are struggling to pay the mortgage or find work or with being alone. I can't feel that bad for a guy who has had such a good life up to this point.

 

[tahoe]

Im with you, Sam was looking like he was going to have a great year with finally all of the pieces. He was in the third year of the system and had complete mastery of it. He finally had receivers that were catching the ball and an oline to protect him. Then this happens to him again... it sucks big time.

 

[Robocop]

With so much focus on how his loss impacts the team this season, his contract and salary cap concerns, replacements now and in the future, and so on......has anyone really sat back and thought about how sick Bradford is right now?

The kid was a #1 pick in the NFL draft and went to an organization that over the years, poorly put pieces around him via coaching, players, and even strategy for his development. He gets hurt, rehabs like crazy to get back, and just when he finally gets his shot to play for what appears will be a very good team, he hurts the same knee he spent months rehabbing and is out for the season. Damn.

And it could only get worse for him, if Shaun Hill comes in and has a Rich Gannon like late career success story with his team. Perhaps, the only person that could possibly even come close to understanding would probably be Trent Green.

I feel awful for him he really did everything he could and I can only imagine the heartbreak of working so hard to get back just for it to happen again. especially if he's got that competitive nature it'll probably haunt him a while. but... if someone told me to take a beating for 4 years, blow your ACL twice and walk away with $50-60 million, yea I'd do it.

 

[ABIGRAMFAN]

Romans 8:28

Something good is gong to come out of this for Sam.

 

[Thordaddy]

SICK AS HELL,,I can only imagine the disappointment ,but look at it this way,he's young he's git a great start in life because he's such a quality individual,even if he never plays the game ,he can do great things. Football as a player wasn't going to last forever for him or anyone,if he decides to come back he can take two years if need be,I wish him well.

 

[MerlinJones]

Sam Bradford has already accomplished more by age 27 than most people will in their entire lives.

If he chooses to walk away from football he has the resources to try and do pretty much whatever he wants with the rest of his life without worrying where his next meal or paycheck will come from.

I don't think he needs anybody to feel bad for him, and I doubt that he'd want them to.

 

[Yamahopper]

I feel for him. It sucks having all that work go for not. Now he has to do it again. All he worked for his whole life indone by just two hits. I just hope he gets some perspective on what he wants in his life because he might be able to come back from a second ACL, pass the physical and have a career and a good life after football But what's left if there's a third ACL?

 

[DCH]

Of course. I love Bradford as a player, and have always thought if he could just get some talent around him and keep his health, he'd be a damned fine one.

It's hard not to feel for talented-but-injured players on your teams. I felt horrible for Scott Rolen, felt horrible for Chris Carpenter, felt horrible for DX and DA... all players who were uber-talented, played for teams I love, and kept getting hurt.

Bradford is on par with DX for me, because I don't know that he can come back from this many knee surgeries and he may have had his career cut terribly short. Nobody as young as him (and Danario) should have to be forced out of doing what they love because their body won't allow them to continue.

But it happens, sometimes. I really, really hope Sam is on the Rams this time next year, with a lighter cap hit and a very talented guy pushing him for reps.

I'm looking to Fisher, Long, Long, Britt, JL and Quinn now to grab this team by the balls and angrily pull them through a winning season. Also looking forward to seeing what Hill can do running the offense.

But I feel for Sam. My heart goes out to him.

 

[SaneRamsFan]

There is no price tag on disappointment and I am sure Sam has enough of that to go around for a few of us.

 

[-X-]

Of course I do. Nobody wants the ability to do what they love taken away from them. And for the people out in the internet who keep fucking citing how much money he has, and how it should make up for every other disappointment in his life, get a fucking grip. I'm sure Bradford would trade any money he's made for the chance to keep playing QB in the NFL injury free. It would be the same for anyone else. If your main joy in life was taken away, you'd give up your money to be able to keep doing it. Hell, lots of people say they'd play in the NFL for free, or give their left nut to be able to do what he does. But he shouldn't care anymore because he got paid? Ridiculous.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

So hardcore
Woke up to this after unplugging all yesterday
Worst fucking news ever
He looked so good on that drive

 

[iBruce]

 

[LetsGoRams]

I don't feel too bad for Sam. He has a great life. Football legend at Oklahoma. Top dog at his high school. Probably had his choice of chicks all those years. Would never have trouble finding a job. Doesn't need to get a job if he isn't dumb about his money. There are a lot of people in this country that are struggling to pay the mortgage or find work or with being alone. I can't feel that bad for a guy who has had such a good life up to this point.

Take money out of it. The kid was the #1 pick in the draft, but surrounded by a horrible team, a horrible coach. Finally get a new coach and some talent around him and he tears his ACL. Works his ass off to come back and doesn't even get a chance to play one snap in the regular season. It's more than likely that his career may be over. Who's going to give a guy a shot who is coming off of 2 ACL surgeries? I feel horrible for him. Football is probably his life and for it to be potentially be over at 25 years of age, when all indications were that he was finally living up to his potential, has to be devastating. I feel awful for him.

 

[Angry Ram]

Yeah I definently feel bad for him. He went through so much hate...most of it undeserving.

Like people making his TDs into garbage time TDs.

Or conveniently leaving out positive college/pro seasons in order to enforce an (terrible) opinon.

Skewing or making up stats to enforce an agenda.

All the while Sam was working his ass off on and off the field. Just never understood all the hate. And for what?

With Sam Bradford fully healthy this team had the potential to win many games; like everybody forgot the team went freakin 1-15 the in 2009 (the worse season ever). Shame.

 

[HometownBoy]

RFIP put it better than I ever could in the vent thread.

You can't deny the guy really wanted it, he really wanted to bring the Rams to good things, it oozed from his pores and he just can't do it. That has to hurt, this is his childhood dream and it fell to pieces right in front of his face and he couldn't stop it, it was nothing he could change, just bad luck spitting in his face.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Take money out of it. The kid was the #1 pick in the draft, but surrounded by a horrible team, a horrible coach. Finally get a new coach and some talent around him and he tears his ACL. Works his ass off to come back and doesn't even get a chance to play one snap in the regular season. It's more than likely that his career may be over. Who's going to give a guy a shot who is coming off of 2 ACL surgeries? I feel horrible for him. Football is probably his life and for it to be potentially be over at 25 years of age, when all indications were that he was finally living up to his potential, has to be devastating. I feel awful for him.

His life is not over. Do you feel bad for every college football player that doesn't make it to the NFL? Or how about the kid that loves football but isn't big enough or strong enough to make a college team? Disappointment is a big part of life. Many people deal with much more of it than a 3star high school recruit who got to start at a major University and go onto be the first pick in the NFL draft and break the bank to boot.

Bradford has had it good. He has had it better than most people in this world can ever imagine. Heck he even has outlasted the average number of years an NFL Player gets to play in the NFL. He has experienced more successes in his life than the majority of people in this world will ever come close to. I cannot feel bad for him. Sure it sucks. Sure he cannot play his favorite game anymore but I know kids that never even got the chance to play that game. There are people all around us that have it bad their entire lives and never get to sniff the level of success that Sam has. I feel sorry for them.

I look at it this way. He had a great ride and if he is soured on some of the things that Memphis pointed out like not having a good team all of those years, or putting so much time into rehab for nothing, then shame on him. He should count his blessings. But I doubt he feels that way. I am sure he is bummed, but I dont think he looks at it the same way that some of you do.

It sucks what happened to him. It really does. But I dont feel sorry. If you play a tough physical game and risk your health then if things go wrong you just accept it and move on.

BTW Sam working hard to get back from injury is not anything that most people recovering from a similar injury wouldn't do. So I dont see that as some extraordinary feat either.