Walker Valley Mustangs

Bryson Bradley walker valley

Pedal to the metal

Bryson Bradley said he's always been the fat kid who could run.

"That's me," he said, "since my days in flag football."

The fat kid who could run has become the small fire-hydrant-like anchor of Walker Valley's offensive line.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight," Bradley added. "My size is really an advantage. I'm a lot quicker now than most. It's easier to get under the other guy's pads."

And while it's easy for a 5-foot-10, 185-pound center to get lost in the trenches, he believes that such is the life of an offensive lineman - and he doesn't seem to care.

"Are centers unsung? The whole offensive line is unsung," Bradley said. "We enjoy winning games and we enjoy the touchdowns, so we don't mind that we don't get any credit."

In his own way, Bradley is an on-field leader from tackle to tackle, making calls to help others know what to do, occasionally adjusting blocking calls and reading blitzes on the interior of the line.

Size doesn't matter, at least in this case, Mustangs coach Glen Ryan said.

"(Bradley) goes hard. He's smart. He's an undersized overachiever," Ryan said. "He never misses practice, he busts his butt every day in drills and he works hard in the weight room."

When Bradley enrolled as a freshman at Walker Valley, it was Ryan's first year with the football program, and the life of a Mustang has changed for the better.

"Since my freshman year, everything has fallen into place. It goes beyond weight training and watching film. It's learning how to do it," Bradley said. "Things have changed a lot. We're not just a band school but a football school."

Capsule by Ward Gossett; contact at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or follow on Twitter: @wardgossett.