What Is Sam Bradford's Net Worth?
Sam Bradford is a retired American football player who has a net worth of $70 million. During his NFL career, Sam Bradford earned $130 million in salary alone. Bradford played from 2010-2018, for multiple NFL teams.
Early Life
Sam Bradford was born Samuel Jacob Bradford on November 8, 1987, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The son of Kent and Martha Bradford, Sam attended Putnam City North High School, where he was a local star when it came to football, basketball, baseball, and golf. Bradford earned accolades as a pitcher on the baseball field but ended up pursuing football. He earned All-City honors as a junior quarterback in a highly competitive market. Following Bradford's senior season, during which he threw for 2,029 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games, he was selected for the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Team and earned accolades as a Second-Team All-State selection by "The Oklahoman."
College Career
Bradford earned an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Oklahoma, where he played under coach Bob Stoops for the Oklahoma Sooners football team.
Bradford was redshirted as a freshman during the 2006 season. During this same season, Oklahoma's then-starting quarterback Rhett Bomar was dismissed due to a violation of NCAA rules. This occurrence left a significant void for the team's quarterback position. On August 21, 2007, Bradford earned the starting quarterback role for the 2007 Sooner team.
Sam would end up helping the Sooners win the Big 12 Championship — the team defeated Missouri for the second time in one season. The Sooners advanced and played the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Fiesta Bowl, which took place on January 2, 2008. The Sooners lost 48–28.
Bradford would go on to face Florida (a team led by Tim Tebow) during the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. He performed well, throwing 26 passes out of 41 attempts for 256 yards. Bradford recorded two touchdowns and two interceptions during his performance, which resulted in a Florida victory (24–14).
Despite less-than-stellar performances on the big stage, Sam would become the fifth Oklahoma player to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy. Bradford joined fellow Sooner Heisman winners Billy Vessels (1952), Steve Owens (1969), Billy Sims (1978), and Jason White (2003).
Joe Sargent/Getty Images
NFL Career
After undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, Bradford announced that he would enter the 2010 NFL Draft. He began his professional NFL career after being picked 1st overall during the NFL Draft. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams.
During Bradford's first season in the NFL, he set a league record for most completions by a rookie. Earning this accolade helped him earn NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Bradford made significant contributions to the St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Arizona Cardinal offensive efforts from 2010 to 2018.
Contracts and Career Earnings
In 2010, Sam signed the richest NFL contract ever, which included a record $50 million in guaranteed money. By the time he officially retired, Bradford had earned more than $130 million in salary alone during his time in the NFL. He earned $65 million just from playing for the Rams from 2010 to 2014. Between June 2017 and June 2018, Sam earned $24 million from salary and endorsements. He is one of the 25 highest-earning players in NFL history.
During his career, Bradford played a grand total of 83 games. At $130 million in salary, that works out to $1.56 million per game played. At Arizona, he earned $5 million per game (he only played three games). Some other fun Bradford career earnings stats include:
- $1.56 million per game (83)
- $70,000 per completion (1,855)
- $1.25 million per touchdown (103)
- $6,684 per yard (19,449)
Personal Life
Bradford identifies as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and has traced his lineage through the federal government's Dawes Rolls. He happens to be the first member of the Cherokee Nation to ever start at the quarterback position for a Division I university since Sonny Sixkiller, a quarterback who played for the University of Washington (1970–1972). Sam's father, Kent Bradford, earned accolades as an offensive lineman for the Sooners (1977-1978) and perhaps had no short amount of influence in his son's prowess on the gridiron as well.
Bradford is also an avid ice hockey fan and enthusiast. His favorite team is the Vancouver Canucks. Sam spends his time now as a scratch golfer and also acts as a representative for Christianity, appearing in short films and video testimonials that share his faith in Christianity. In 2009, Bradford was honored by Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett, who declared January 13th as "Sam Bradford Day."
Bradford became engaged to Emma Lavy in March 2016. The couple married in Aspen, Colorado, on July 15, 2016.
