Jim Bradshaw, a former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and draft pick, has died at 87.
The news was shared in a Facebook post by his family, according to a social media update from his niece. The post said Bradshaw died peacefully.
Bradshaw was born in St. Clairsville, Ohio, about 60 miles west of Pittsburgh, and he became one of the Steelers’ early local success stories after starring at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Before the NFL, he was a quarterback in college, and the Steelers bet on that athleticism when they brought him in.
His path to Pittsburgh came in 1963, when both leagues came calling. The Boston Patriots took him in the 20th round of the AFL draft, while the Steelers selected him in the 18th round of the NFL Draft. Bradshaw chose the NFL and the Steelers, and the team quickly moved him from quarterback to defense.
As a rookie, he appeared in 14 games and made one start. That start produced his first career interception, a sign of what was ahead over the next several seasons. He also handled a little bit of special teams work that year, punting twice and averaging 35 yards per attempt, according to Pro Football Reference.
By his second season, Bradshaw had settled in as a starter at safety and was taking on more of a role as a kick and punt returner. His biggest year came in 1965, when he started 12 games, picked off five passes, piled up 117 return yards and scored a touchdown.
Bradshaw played 62 NFL games, all with the Steelers, from 1963 through 1967. He finished his Pittsburgh run with 11 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries, and he returned two interceptions and two fumbles for touchdowns.
After the 1967 season, Pittsburgh traded him to the Cleveland Browns, but Cleveland cut him before the season started, ending his NFL career.
In Other News...
South Carolina Fans Had To Sit Through One More Brutal Moment
South Carolina had Mississippi State on the ropes after jumping out to a 16-0 lead, but the night turned sharply once the Bulldogs settled in and started piling up points in a 41-34 road win. Kamario Taylor led the comeback with four touchdown passes and 251 yards through the air, while Fluff Bothwell helped keep the pressure on with 115 rushing yards, turning what looked like a comfortable Gamecocks advantage into another frustrating finish for the home crowd.
By the time the game tightened, the broadcast had already found a different kind of sideline drama in the stands, where ESPN caught a couple in the middle of an argument that quickly spread online. For South Carolina fans, it was the sort of night where the football and the off-field awkwardness seemed to mirror each other, one more harsh reminder that even a fast start can vanish in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Beamer Addressed What South Carolina Must Fix After SEC Collapse
South Carolinas SEC opener ended in frustration Saturday night, with a 41-34 loss to Mississippi State at home, and Shane Beamer didnt spend much time soft-pedaling what went wrong. The Gamecocks had enough offense to stay in the game, but Beamer pointed to the second-half letdown as the part that left the most to fix, a familiar sort of issue in conference play where small slips can quickly turn into a damaging loss.
Malik Orsan at least gave South Carolina a steady night on special teams, as the newly named starting kicker connected on all four field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. For a team trying to regroup after an SEC opener that slipped away on its home field, those points mattered, but Beamer made clear the bigger concern now is how his team answers the setback in the games ahead. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Let A Winnable SEC Game Slip Away Fast
South Carolina had the kind of halftime lead that usually travels well in the SEC, but it unraveled quickly in Starkville. The Gamecocks were up 23-16 at the break before Mississippi State surged ahead in a 41-34 loss, and Shane Beamer made it clear afterward that the early opportunities mattered as much as the late mistakes. His frustration centered on settling for field goals instead of touchdowns in the first half, a margin that can vanish fast once the game changes pace.
It changed in a hurry after halftime. South Carolina managed only five yards in the third quarter while the Bulldogs piled up 17 points, and LaNorris Sellers two interceptions in the second half directly turned into 10 Mississippi State points. For a team looking for a win it could have grabbed, the Gamecocks instead left with the familiar regret of an SEC game where the opening chances were there, and the middle stretch decided everything. [Read more 🡒]