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
Joey McGuire Big Noon Kickoff Interview
Saturday, September 20
The Friday Night Hype
Friday, September 19
Red Raiders Arrive in Utah
Friday, September 19
David Bailey Media Availability
Tuesday, September 16