It was on the brief bus ride back from Finley Stadium to the McCallie campus that the enormity of what had just happened finally sank in for Joel Bradford.
The four-mile trip, barely long enough to even enjoy listening to your favorite song, provided just enough of a reprieve from the constant buzz of preparation and pressure — most of which came from within — to allow Bradford’s mind to reflect on not only the instant classic he had just been a part of but also the journey through his first season as head coach of the Blue Tornado football program.
Although he had been the offensive coordinator for all four state championships the program won in the five-year span from 2019 to 2023, what the team accomplished in Thursday night’s TSSAA Division II-AAA BlueCross Bowl carried a different weight for him emotionally. Whatever the expectations of following his mentor, Ralph Potter — whether by his own making or from within the McCallie community — they were eased by the dramatic 27-21 comeback win over previously unbeaten rival Baylor.
So somewhere along the way home, just after turning off Reggie White Boulevard to pass through downtown Chattanooga’s festive holiday lights, Bradford exhaled a season’s worth of worry, then took a moment to lean across the aisle, extend his hand toward Potter and simply say, “Thank you.”
When Potter stepped down as head coach less than a week after last year’s title win, the easy thing would’ve been to step away from the game completely. Ride off into the sunset to spend more time with his newborn grandson and maybe come back for a few McCallie home games to join the know-it-all fans who second-guess coaches’ decisions from the comfort of the bleachers.