What is Ed O'Bradovich's Net Worth?
Ed O'Bradovich is a former professional football player who has a net worth of $2 million. Ed O'Bradovich played as a defensive end in the CFL and NFL. After beginning his career in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions, he moved to the NFL in 1962 to play for the Chicago Bears, remaining on the team until the end of his playing career in 1971. O'Bradovich later became a sports broadcaster in Chicago.
Early Life and Education
Ed O'Bradovich was born on May 21, 1940 in Hillside, Illinois. He was educated at Proviso East High School in Maywood, and then at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Canadian Football League
O'Bradovich began his professional football career in 1961 in Canada with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders. Partway through the season, he moved to the BC Lions.
Chicago Bears
After his season in the CFL, O'Bradovich entered the 1962 NFL Draft. He was chosen in the seventh round with the 91st overall pick by the Chicago Bears. In O'Bradovich's first season with the team, the Bears posted a 9-5 record for a third-place finish in the Western Conference. O'Bradovich had his most memorable season the next year, when the Bears finished 11-1-2 to win their first Western Conference title in seven years. The team went on to face the New York Giants in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. In the game, O'Bradovich intercepted a screen pass that set up a touchdown, leading the Bears to defeat the Giants 14-10. The 1963 Bears are widely considered among the greatest defenses in NFL history. Following that amazing season, the team had a major downturn in 1964, finishing with a disappointing 5-9 record. Things turned out better in 1965, as the Bears went 9-5 for a third-place finish in the Western Conference. The team went on to struggle in the 1966 season, posting a 5-7-2 record.
Continuing their up-and-down pattern, the Bears improved in 1967 with a 7-6-1 record and a second-place finish in the newly formed Central Division of the Western Conference. It was the final season with head coach and NFL co-founder George Halas, who continued to own the Bears until his passing in 1983. Under new head coach Jim Dooley, the Bears finished with a 7-7 record in the 1968 season, good enough for another second-place finish in the Western Conference's Central Division. The next season was the team's worst in franchise history, as the Bears managed to go 1-13 while scoring just 27 points in six division games. They showed significant improvement in 1970, finishing with a 6-8 record. O'Bradovich played his final NFL season in 1971 as the Bears went 6-8 for a second consecutive year. Due to the team's underwhelming performance, head coach Jim Dooley was fired.
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Sports Broadcasting
After his career in the NFL ended, O'Bradovich joined the world of sports broadcasting. Alongside fellow former Bears player Doug Buffone, he hosted a Bears postgame radio show on WSCR in Chicago. In 2009, O'Bradovich and Buffone joined Chicago Sports Webio. The year after that, O'Bradovich began broadcasting Chicago Rush Arena Football League games for WGN and Comcast SportsNet.
Other Media Appearances
Among his other notable appearances in the media, O'Bradovich played himself in the 1971 ABC television movie "Brian's Song," starring James Caan as Bears player Brian Piccolo. He later played himself in the 1980 television film "Coach of the Year," starring Robert Conrad as a fictional paraplegic coach and former Bears player named Jim Brandon.
Personal Life
In 1965, O'Bradovich married his wife Nancy. Together, they had a son named Ed II. Nancy also had two daughters named Jennifer and Amy from her previous marriage to football player Tony Parrilli, who was killed by police in 1963. In the spring of 2005, Nancy drowned in a swimming pool at her and O'Bradovich's home in Inverness, Illinois.
