Contact: Emily Zadny, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302 

April 2, 2018 – North Central College senior men's lacrosse player Steven Bradford has quite the athletic resume. He had always been interested in sports and enjoyed the challenge of trying new activities, a trend that started back in middle school and continued during his four years at North Central.

"Growing up I did just about everything," said Bradford. "I played the more traditional sports in middle school and then started wrestling in fourth grade. In junior high, I tried pole vault and continued wrestling and then in high school I played football. I was pretty small in high school, so football didn't last long and I focused on pole vault and wrestling. I joined the soccer team my senior year just to try it." 

His dad was a pole vaulter which sparked his interest in that sport. His younger brother had brought a flyer home for the wrestling club in town when Bradford was in middle school and at first, he wanted nothing to do with it. His dad suggested he come with to watch his brother's practice after the first day, Bradford had a change of heart and decided to give it a try. 

That decision led him to continue the sport for the next ten years. 

"Family is so important to me," said Bradford. "My mom and I have a 600 -day streak on Snap Chat and I have molded my work ethic around my parents. I hope to set that same example for my younger brother as well."  

The Bloomington, Ill. native initially came to North Central because of the track and field team's prestigious history, especially in his signature event. Pole vault still holds a special place in his heart despite being a part of other teams, but his diverse athletic experience highlighted his time as a Cardinal.  

"The sports management program here was a big factor in my decision," said Bradford. "North Central also has a lot of success in the track and field program and I definitely wanted to keep pole vaulting. The Division III aspect was big for me also because it let me do more with athletics." 

Bradford took advantage of the Division III model, becoming a dual sport athlete as a member of the soccer team the fall and continuing to pole vault in the spring. But once he heard about the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural men's lacrosse team, he could not pass it up. He made the decision to focus on lacrosse year round as he preferred the physical aspect in comparison to soccer and with lacrosse's competitive season taking place in the spring, he would have to forego track and field. 

The first few practices were a challenge for Bradford since he had never played lacrosse, but with the help of head coach Jay Farrell and his teammates, Bradford began to see his stick skills and lacrosse knowledge develop.  

"My stick skills were awful," said Bradford. "I'm still working on that, but it was a bit embarrassing at first not being able to throw and catch. Luckily, it's gotten better and with playing midfield, I just have to pass the ball off to the attack and then get off the field!" 

Although he was a part of three teams at North Central, Bradford has remained with his initial academic major and does not regret that decision. Since the sports management program was a big factor for him, he has taken multiple opportunities to get those most out of it. Bradford has held internships with the Chicago Bears, Fire, and the Blackhawks, helping with game day operations and fan experiences. He also had worked with Paragon in the summer, a company that manages Gatorade's youth sponsorships, and had the chance to travel across the country with the company. 

Following graduation, Bradford will take a job unrelated to sports as a district manager with Aldi, but he is not counting out a job in the sports industry down the road. 

"I'm a huge Dallas Cowboys fan—it's the only team I am a real diehard fan for and follow," said Bradford. "My dream job would be to work for them in any department. As awesome as that would be, I'm very family oriented so moving from here to Texas would be really hard." 

There is still time for Bradford to think about his future, but right now his main focus is on the remainder of the season and finishing his spring term on a high note. The men's lacrosse team, coming off of a 21-3 win against Adrian College on Saturday, March 31, begins College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Wednesday, April 4, traveling to Bradford's home town of Bloomington, Ill. to face Illinois Wesleyan University at 7:30 p.m.