Harold "Hal" Willard Bradley Sr. (September 27, 1905 – November 30, 1973) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player for the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

in 1928. Bradley was one of only 13 African-Americans to play in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

prior to World War II and just the second African-American lineman in the history of the NFL, following Duke Slater. He played collegiately at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

in 1926 and was the father of Harold Bradley Jr., who also played in the NFL.

Childhood

Harold Willard Bradley, more commonly known as "Hal", was born in

Coffeyville, Kansas Coffeyville is a city in southeastern Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located along the Verdigris River in the state's southeastern region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,826. Coffeyville is the most pop ...

, in 1905. He was the son of Arthur Bradley, a

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At ...

barber, and his wife, Mamie. Hal Bradley moved with his family to Chicago when he was a boy, and he was raised in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

's West Woodlawn neighborhood on the city's south side. He attended Englewood High School and was named all-state as a member of the school's football team. Upon graduation, Bradley enrolled at the University of Iowa.

University of Iowa

Bradley attended the

in 1926 and joined the football team. Following in the footsteps of Iowa's Duke Slater, Bradley became one of the few African-Americans playing college football at the time. Although he never earned a varsity letter at Iowa, Bradley's athletic participation at the University of Iowa helped the school create a reputation as a "safe haven" for black athletes.Neal Rozendaal, "African Americans in Hawkeye Sports"
/ref> Bradley left the University of Iowa before graduation after being offered a job as a postal carrier.

Chicago Cardinals

Duke Slater took notice of Bradley when Bradley was playing football for the University of Iowa. In 1928, Slater encouraged his Chicago Cardinals team to give Bradley a shot at a roster spot, and Bradley made the team. Hal Bradley started one game for the Chicago Cardinals in 1928 and played in two games, which made him the second black lineman in NFL history, after Slater himself.Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge, by Neal Rozendaal, Page 115 () (''p 115'') Bradley was one of only 13 African-Americans to compete in the NFL before World War II. Unfortunately, a childhood injury – which resulted in a steel plate being placed in his leg – contributed to the end of Bradley's NFL career. Bradley played only two games in the NFL, the shortest career of any African-American player prior to World War II.(''p 196'')

Personal life

Harold Bradley Sr. worked for most of his life as a postal carrier and appliance salesman. He married Hattie Ruth Clay, a Chicago native, in 1927. Together, they had two children: Pauline and Harold Jr. Harold Bradley Jr. followed in his father's footsteps, first at the University of Iowa and then in the NFL. The Bradleys became the first African-American father-son combination to play for the Hawkeye football team, and Harold Bradley Jr. was named the University of Iowa's team MVP in 1950. Harold Bradley Jr. then followed his father into the NFL, becoming the first African-American father-son combination in NFL history; Harold Jr. played four NFL seasons from 1954 to 1958.Piascik, Andy. (2009). ''Gridiron Gauntlet: The Story of the Men Who Integrated Pro Football, In Their Own Words''. Harold Bradley Sr. p. 6-7, 171-180 (Taylor Trade Publishers).. Hal Bradley died in Chicago in 1973 following a heart attack and was interred in

Burr Oak Cemetery Burr Oak Cemetery is a cemetery located in Alsip, Illinois, United States, a suburb southwest of Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1927, Burr Oak was one of the few early Chicago cemeteries focused on the needs of the African-American community, ...

, Alsip, Illinois.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Harold Sr. 1905 births 1973 deaths Chicago Cardinals players Iowa Hawkeyes football players Sportspeople from Coffeyville, Kansas Players of American football from Chicago Englewood Technical Prep Academy alumni 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen