2019 Football Roster
Roster
Bradford Jr., Tony

Jersey Number 97
Tony Bradford Jr.
- Position:
- Defensive Line
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 270
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Houston, Texas
- High School:
- North Shore
Bio
2023 SEASON (SUPER-SENIOR)
Named to Shrine Bowl 1,000 list (7/19) ... named to the Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list (8/3).
2022 SEASON (SENIOR)
Put together his best season as a Red Raider as a prominent leader for the defense as a senior … one of six Red Raiders to start and play in all 13 games, including one of four to do so on the defensive side of the ball … recorded 32 tackles (22 solo), matching his previous career high from his 2021 junior season … of that total, had 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, both career bests … had at least one tackle in every game and posted multiple stops in seven contests … recorded 27 of his 32 tackles on the season during Big 12 play … added six quarterback hurries and a blocked kick as well … credited with 35 pressures by Pro Football Focus, which ranked 13th nationally and first in the Big 12 among interior defensive linemen … combined with Jaylon Hutchings as one of only three FBS duos of interior linemen to record 30 or more pressures on the season according to Pro Football Focus … listed as playing in 645 total defensive snaps, which ranked ninth on the defense and second among defensive linemen … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began the season with three tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and a sack, versus Murray State (9/3) … made one stop against both Houston (9/10) and N.C. State (9/17) to close non-conference play … opened Big 12 play with three stops, including a shared sack, in the Big 12 opener versus Texas (9/24) … combined with Tyree Wilson on a key third-down sack in the red zone that forced the Longhorns into a field goal … had one tackle in each of the next two games at Kansas State (10/1) and Oklahoma State (10/8) as well as at TCU (11/5) and against Kansas (11/12) … stop at Kansas State was a sack, resulting in a seven-yard loss in the red zone to force another field goal on the Wildcats’ second drive of the game … credited with three tackles and a quarterback hurry in the win over West Virginia (10/22) … notched a season-high five tackles against Baylor, which included a career-best 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack … played a season-high 75 snaps against the Bears … got his hands on a Kansas field goal attempt that was ultimately no good to end the Jayhawks’ opening drive of the second half … closed the season with 12 tackles over the final three games at Iowa State (11/19), Oklahoma (11/26) and in the TaxAct Texas Bowl win over Ole Miss (12/28) … had a sack in each of the final two games of the regular season with four tackles at Iowa State and three versus Oklahoma … received his highest grade, according to Pro Football Focus, during Big 12 play in the win over the Sooners (76.2) after totaling a season-high seven pressures … credited with two quarterback hurries, including one that led to a Dadrion-Taylor Demerson interception late in the second quarter … the Red Raiders found the end zone four plays later as part of a strong finish to the first half … his sack versus the Sooners resulted in a six-yard loss, pushing Oklahoma back to the sideline after a failed fourth-down attempt on Texas Tech’s end of the field … his sack at Iowa State also came on fourth down, stopping a Cyclones drive that had reached the Red Raiders’ two yard line … matched his season high for tackles with five stops to go along with a quarterback hurry in the bowl victory over Ole Miss … AWARDS AND HONORS: honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches … tabbed to the All-Big 12 third team by Phil Steel Magazine … recognized for his work off the field as part of the AFCA Good Works Team … one of 11 student-athletes from the FBS on the Good Works Team, becoming the fourth Red Raider student-athlete all-time to garner the award … named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy in recognition of his community service work … tabbed to the Academic All-Big 12 second team for his work in the classroom ... SENIOR DECISION: elected to return to Texas Tech for a super senior season as part of the extra year of eligibility afforded by the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
2021 SEASON (JUNIOR)
A steady presence on the defensive line again as a junior … one of 13 members named to the team captains circle in a vote of his teammates … appeared in 10 games overall with two starts … often rotated between the nose position with Jaylon Hutchings and then as an end … missed three games against Kansas (10/16), Kansas State (10/23) and Oklahoma (10/30) due to injury … totaled 32 tackles on the year (15 solo), including 8.0 that went for a loss and 3.5 sacks … ranked second on the team for tackles for loss, trailing only fellow defensive lineman Tyree Wilson … was tied with Hutchings for second on the team for sacks behind Wilson … added two pass breakups at the line of scrimmage and a quarterback hurry to his stats … his 32 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss both marked career highs for a season … recorded a tackle for loss in six of 10 games overall, including in each of his final five outings … had five games with four or more tackles overall … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the season with a key sack in Texas Tech’s come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4) … sack was his lone stop on the night and was followed immediately after by a Riko Jeffers pick-six that tied the game at 21-21 midway through the third quarter … closed non-conference play with four tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, as well as a pass breakup versus Stephen F. Austin (9/11) and two stops against Florida International (9/18) … had one stop in the Big 12 opener at Texas (9/25) … posted five tackles in each of the next two weeks at West Virginia (10/2) and against TCU (10/9) … performance against the Horned Frogs included 2.0 tackles for loss, which was only 0.5 shy of his career high … returned from injury against Iowa State (11/13) to chip in two stops, including a shared sack in the win … put together another five-tackle showing against Oklahoma State (11/20) while also adding a pass breakup … rounded out the regular season with a season-high six stops, including another sack, against Baylor (11/13) … had one tackle in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl versus Mississippi State (12/28), which came on a 10-yard sack in the fourth quarter … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized on the watch lists for both the Wuerffel Trophy and the AFCA Good Works Team, both community serviced based awards … tabbed a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.
2020 SEAS0N (SOPHOMORE)
Became a staple on the defensive line as only a sophomore … appeared and started in eight games at the tackle position … led all defensive linemen with 28 tackles and 6.0 tackles for a loss … ranked third on the team in tackles for the loss, trailing only Krishon Merriweather and Riko Jeffers … one of those TFLs was the result of a sack … also second on the team with five quarterback hurries … recorded at least three tackles in six of the eight games played … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began the season with three tackles against Houston Baptist (9/12) … opened Big 12 play with a tackle versus Texas (9/26) and three at Kansas State (10/3) … the Texas game marked the start of three-straight weeks with at least one tackle for a loss … recorded career highs with eight tackles and two quarterback hurries at Iowa State (10/10) … had two quarterback hurries again in the win over West Virginia (10/24) to go along with three tackles … suffered a pregame injury prior to the Oklahoma game (10/31) that kept him out against the Sooners and the following week at TCU (11/7) … returned to make three tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Baylor (11/14) … had one tackle in the final road game of the season at Oklahoma State (11/28) … closed the season with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry in win over Kansas (12/5) … his 2.5 tackles for a loss marked a career high … AWARDS AND HONORS: All-Big 12 honorable mention selection.
2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Made a strong debut as only a true freshman … appeared in 11 of 12 games with two starts on the defensive line … missed only the season opener against Montana State (8/31) … one of four true freshmen on the defensive side of the ball to appear in five or more games … totaled 13 tackles on the season (9 solo), including 2.0 that went for a loss … combined on two tackles for a loss that went for sacks … posted at least two tackles in four games on the season ... SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made his debut in the season opener against UTEP (9/7), recording two tackles while also combining on a sack … notched a season high three tackles in victory over Oklahoma State (10/5) … combined again on a sack against the Cowboys … was one of seven sacks in the win, the most by the Red Raiders since 2009 … followed the next week with two tackles at Baylor (10/2) … notched two tackles again later in the season against TCU (11/16) … finished with one tackle in four other games against Iowa State (10/19), West Virginia (11/9), Kansas State (11/23) and at Texas (11/29).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended North Shore High School in Houston, Texas … helped lead North Shore to the Class 6A Division-I state championship as a senior … team was also named the national champions by MaxPreps … state championship win came via a hail mary touchdown pass at the end of regulation … North Shore also advanced to the Class 6A Division I regional championship his junior season … named the Defensive Player of the Year at the Touchdown Club of Houston’s area high school awards banquet his senior year … only the second North Shore player in school history to receive the award … selected as the District 21-6A Defensive Player of the Year as well … was a first team All-District 21-6A honoree as a junior … three-star prospect according to 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … No. 54 ranked weakside defensive end in the 2019 class according to Rivals … CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Arizona, Colorado State, East Carolina, Memphis, Purdue, Rice, Syracuse, Washington State
PERSONAL
Tony Bradford Jr … born in Houston, Texas ... one of nine children ... son of Tony Bradford and LaTara Lee ... earned his undergraduate degree in sociology from Texas Tech ... earned a master's degree, May 2023, in interdisciplinary studies at Texas Tech ... currently seeking a graduate degree in public administration ... hopes to enter law enforcement when his football career is over ... served an internship with the Texas Tech Police Department as an on-campus guard since the spring of 2020.
Named to Shrine Bowl 1,000 list (7/19) ... named to the Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list (8/3).
2022 SEASON (SENIOR)
Put together his best season as a Red Raider as a prominent leader for the defense as a senior … one of six Red Raiders to start and play in all 13 games, including one of four to do so on the defensive side of the ball … recorded 32 tackles (22 solo), matching his previous career high from his 2021 junior season … of that total, had 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, both career bests … had at least one tackle in every game and posted multiple stops in seven contests … recorded 27 of his 32 tackles on the season during Big 12 play … added six quarterback hurries and a blocked kick as well … credited with 35 pressures by Pro Football Focus, which ranked 13th nationally and first in the Big 12 among interior defensive linemen … combined with Jaylon Hutchings as one of only three FBS duos of interior linemen to record 30 or more pressures on the season according to Pro Football Focus … listed as playing in 645 total defensive snaps, which ranked ninth on the defense and second among defensive linemen … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began the season with three tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and a sack, versus Murray State (9/3) … made one stop against both Houston (9/10) and N.C. State (9/17) to close non-conference play … opened Big 12 play with three stops, including a shared sack, in the Big 12 opener versus Texas (9/24) … combined with Tyree Wilson on a key third-down sack in the red zone that forced the Longhorns into a field goal … had one tackle in each of the next two games at Kansas State (10/1) and Oklahoma State (10/8) as well as at TCU (11/5) and against Kansas (11/12) … stop at Kansas State was a sack, resulting in a seven-yard loss in the red zone to force another field goal on the Wildcats’ second drive of the game … credited with three tackles and a quarterback hurry in the win over West Virginia (10/22) … notched a season-high five tackles against Baylor, which included a career-best 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack … played a season-high 75 snaps against the Bears … got his hands on a Kansas field goal attempt that was ultimately no good to end the Jayhawks’ opening drive of the second half … closed the season with 12 tackles over the final three games at Iowa State (11/19), Oklahoma (11/26) and in the TaxAct Texas Bowl win over Ole Miss (12/28) … had a sack in each of the final two games of the regular season with four tackles at Iowa State and three versus Oklahoma … received his highest grade, according to Pro Football Focus, during Big 12 play in the win over the Sooners (76.2) after totaling a season-high seven pressures … credited with two quarterback hurries, including one that led to a Dadrion-Taylor Demerson interception late in the second quarter … the Red Raiders found the end zone four plays later as part of a strong finish to the first half … his sack versus the Sooners resulted in a six-yard loss, pushing Oklahoma back to the sideline after a failed fourth-down attempt on Texas Tech’s end of the field … his sack at Iowa State also came on fourth down, stopping a Cyclones drive that had reached the Red Raiders’ two yard line … matched his season high for tackles with five stops to go along with a quarterback hurry in the bowl victory over Ole Miss … AWARDS AND HONORS: honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches … tabbed to the All-Big 12 third team by Phil Steel Magazine … recognized for his work off the field as part of the AFCA Good Works Team … one of 11 student-athletes from the FBS on the Good Works Team, becoming the fourth Red Raider student-athlete all-time to garner the award … named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy in recognition of his community service work … tabbed to the Academic All-Big 12 second team for his work in the classroom ... SENIOR DECISION: elected to return to Texas Tech for a super senior season as part of the extra year of eligibility afforded by the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
2021 SEASON (JUNIOR)
A steady presence on the defensive line again as a junior … one of 13 members named to the team captains circle in a vote of his teammates … appeared in 10 games overall with two starts … often rotated between the nose position with Jaylon Hutchings and then as an end … missed three games against Kansas (10/16), Kansas State (10/23) and Oklahoma (10/30) due to injury … totaled 32 tackles on the year (15 solo), including 8.0 that went for a loss and 3.5 sacks … ranked second on the team for tackles for loss, trailing only fellow defensive lineman Tyree Wilson … was tied with Hutchings for second on the team for sacks behind Wilson … added two pass breakups at the line of scrimmage and a quarterback hurry to his stats … his 32 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss both marked career highs for a season … recorded a tackle for loss in six of 10 games overall, including in each of his final five outings … had five games with four or more tackles overall … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the season with a key sack in Texas Tech’s come-from-behind victory over Houston (9/4) … sack was his lone stop on the night and was followed immediately after by a Riko Jeffers pick-six that tied the game at 21-21 midway through the third quarter … closed non-conference play with four tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, as well as a pass breakup versus Stephen F. Austin (9/11) and two stops against Florida International (9/18) … had one stop in the Big 12 opener at Texas (9/25) … posted five tackles in each of the next two weeks at West Virginia (10/2) and against TCU (10/9) … performance against the Horned Frogs included 2.0 tackles for loss, which was only 0.5 shy of his career high … returned from injury against Iowa State (11/13) to chip in two stops, including a shared sack in the win … put together another five-tackle showing against Oklahoma State (11/20) while also adding a pass breakup … rounded out the regular season with a season-high six stops, including another sack, against Baylor (11/13) … had one tackle in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl versus Mississippi State (12/28), which came on a 10-yard sack in the fourth quarter … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized on the watch lists for both the Wuerffel Trophy and the AFCA Good Works Team, both community serviced based awards … tabbed a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.
2020 SEAS0N (SOPHOMORE)
Became a staple on the defensive line as only a sophomore … appeared and started in eight games at the tackle position … led all defensive linemen with 28 tackles and 6.0 tackles for a loss … ranked third on the team in tackles for the loss, trailing only Krishon Merriweather and Riko Jeffers … one of those TFLs was the result of a sack … also second on the team with five quarterback hurries … recorded at least three tackles in six of the eight games played … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began the season with three tackles against Houston Baptist (9/12) … opened Big 12 play with a tackle versus Texas (9/26) and three at Kansas State (10/3) … the Texas game marked the start of three-straight weeks with at least one tackle for a loss … recorded career highs with eight tackles and two quarterback hurries at Iowa State (10/10) … had two quarterback hurries again in the win over West Virginia (10/24) to go along with three tackles … suffered a pregame injury prior to the Oklahoma game (10/31) that kept him out against the Sooners and the following week at TCU (11/7) … returned to make three tackles, including one for a loss, in the win over Baylor (11/14) … had one tackle in the final road game of the season at Oklahoma State (11/28) … closed the season with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry in win over Kansas (12/5) … his 2.5 tackles for a loss marked a career high … AWARDS AND HONORS: All-Big 12 honorable mention selection.
2019 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Made a strong debut as only a true freshman … appeared in 11 of 12 games with two starts on the defensive line … missed only the season opener against Montana State (8/31) … one of four true freshmen on the defensive side of the ball to appear in five or more games … totaled 13 tackles on the season (9 solo), including 2.0 that went for a loss … combined on two tackles for a loss that went for sacks … posted at least two tackles in four games on the season ... SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made his debut in the season opener against UTEP (9/7), recording two tackles while also combining on a sack … notched a season high three tackles in victory over Oklahoma State (10/5) … combined again on a sack against the Cowboys … was one of seven sacks in the win, the most by the Red Raiders since 2009 … followed the next week with two tackles at Baylor (10/2) … notched two tackles again later in the season against TCU (11/16) … finished with one tackle in four other games against Iowa State (10/19), West Virginia (11/9), Kansas State (11/23) and at Texas (11/29).
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended North Shore High School in Houston, Texas … helped lead North Shore to the Class 6A Division-I state championship as a senior … team was also named the national champions by MaxPreps … state championship win came via a hail mary touchdown pass at the end of regulation … North Shore also advanced to the Class 6A Division I regional championship his junior season … named the Defensive Player of the Year at the Touchdown Club of Houston’s area high school awards banquet his senior year … only the second North Shore player in school history to receive the award … selected as the District 21-6A Defensive Player of the Year as well … was a first team All-District 21-6A honoree as a junior … three-star prospect according to 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … No. 54 ranked weakside defensive end in the 2019 class according to Rivals … CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Arizona, Colorado State, East Carolina, Memphis, Purdue, Rice, Syracuse, Washington State
PERSONAL
Tony Bradford Jr … born in Houston, Texas ... one of nine children ... son of Tony Bradford and LaTara Lee ... earned his undergraduate degree in sociology from Texas Tech ... earned a master's degree, May 2023, in interdisciplinary studies at Texas Tech ... currently seeking a graduate degree in public administration ... hopes to enter law enforcement when his football career is over ... served an internship with the Texas Tech Police Department as an on-campus guard since the spring of 2020.
I believe deep down we all want change. I want to help lead it. ????
— Tony Bradford Jr. (@Tbradford97) June 4, 2020
Here's how ??
????: https://t.co/LB5WCRVK12 pic.twitter.com/auMXegTymg
????????'???? ???????? ??
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) July 29, 2021
Welcome to the debut episode of Tony vs. Jaylon, featuring who else? @TBradford97 & @HutchingsJaylon!
Now, the question remains: Is water wet? Who is right? ?? pic.twitter.com/Ha3Pq5Cu2j
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Lee Hunter Media Availability
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Amier Boyd Media Availability
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