Jim Bradshaw, a former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and draft pick, has died at 87.
His family shared the news in a Facebook post through a social media update from his niece, saying Bradshaw died peacefully.
Bradshaw’s football path started in St. Clairsville, Ohio, about 60 miles west of Pittsburgh, and then took off at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He was a quarterback there before the Steelers turned him into a defensive back after selecting him in the 18th round of the 1963 NFL Draft.
He was also taken in the AFL draft that year, with the Boston Patriots choosing him in the 20th round, but he chose to stay with the Steelers. Pittsburgh immediately moved him to the defensive side, banking on his speed and athletic ability.
Bradshaw played 62 NFL games, all with the Steelers, from 1963 through 1967. As a rookie, he appeared in 14 games and started once.
That lone start produced his first career interception. He also handled a small amount of special teams work, punting twice and averaging 35 yards per attempt, according to Pro Football Reference.
By his second season, he had earned a starting job at safety and was also contributing as a kick and punt returner. His strongest year came in 1965, when he started 12 games, picked off five passes, returned those interceptions for 117 yards and scored a touchdown.
After the 1967 season, Pittsburgh traded Bradshaw to the Cleveland Browns, but Cleveland released him before the season started, ending his NFL run. He left the Steelers with 11 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries, along with two interception returns for touchdowns and two fumble returns for touchdowns.
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