Bradley Bozeman
{{Short description|American football player (born 1994)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Bradley Bozeman
| image = Bradley Bozeman 2021 (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Bozeman with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021
| current_team = Los Angeles Chargers
| number = 75
| position = Center
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|11|24}}
| birth_place = Roanoke, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 317
| high_school = Handley (Roanoke)
| college = Alabama (2013–2017)
| draftyear = 2018
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 215
| pastteams =
- Baltimore Ravens ({{NFL Year|2018}}–{{NFL Year|2021}})
- Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|2022}}–{{NFL Year|2023}})
- Los Angeles Chargers ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- Second-team All-SEC (2017)
- 2× CFP national champion (2015, 2017)
| statleague = NFL
| statweek =
| statseason = 2024
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 113
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 94
| pfr = B/BozeBr00
}}
Bradley Bozeman (born November 24, 1994) is an American professional football center for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft before joining the Carolina Panthers.
College career
A native of Roanoke, Alabama, Bozeman was a 4-star offensive line recruit. He committed to play college football at Alabama in 2013 over offers from Auburn, Clemson, and Tennessee.https://rolltide.com/sports/football/roster/bradley-bozeman/3884
Bozeman redshirted as a true freshman in 2013. The following year, as a redshirt freshman, Bozeman played in nine games, starting two (against Arkansas and Texas A&M). In 2015, Bozeman played in all 15 games as a reserve guard and center.https://rolltide.com/sports/football/roster/bradley-bozeman/3884
Bozeman earned a starting spot at center in 2016, serving as the successor for Indianapolis Colts first-round draft pick Ryan Kelly. He started all 15 games in an offense that had 11 100-yard rushing games.https://rolltide.com/sports/football/roster/bradley-bozeman/3884 Bozeman was voted team captain by his teammates for the 2017 season.{{Cite web |title=Bradley Bozeman - Football |url=http://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3884 |access-date=June 8, 2019 |website=University of Alabama Athletics |language=en}} In his senior year, as a starting center, he helped Alabama win the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.{{Cite web |title=2018 CFP National Championship |url=https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2018/1/11/game-recap-2018.aspx}} He was named Second Team All-SEC for his redshirt senior season.https://rolltide.com/sports/football/roster/bradley-bozeman/3884
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 4 5/8
| weight = 317
| dash = 5.47
| ten split = 1.92
| twenty split = 3.15
| shuttle = 5.17
| cone drill = 8.25
| vertical = 24.0
| broad ft = 8
| broad in = 1
| bench = 27
| arm span = 31 1/4
| hand span = 9 3/4
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/video/reaction-to-ravens-selecting-c-bradley-bozeman-20610607 |title=Reaction to Ravens Selecting C Bradley Bozeman |website=BaltimoreRavens.com |access-date=July 6, 2023}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=126706&DraftYear=2018 |title=2018 NFL Draft Scout Bradley Bozeman College Football Profile |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
=Baltimore Ravens=
Bozeman was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round (215th overall) of the 2018 NFL draft.{{Cite web |last=Mink |first=Ryan |date=April 28, 2018 |title=Round 6: Ravens Select C Bradley Bozeman at No. 215 |url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/round-6-ravens-select-c-bradley-bozeman-at-no-215-20609633 |access-date=May 19, 2018 |website=BaltimoreRavens.com}} He played in 14 games as a rookie, starting one game, against the New Orleans Saints, at left guard.{{Cite web |title=Bradley Bozeman 2018 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BozeBr00/gamelog/2018/ |access-date=June 8, 2019 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} In his second season, Bozeman was named starting left guard, and started every game of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.{{Cite web |title=Bradley Bozeman 2019 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BozeBr00/gamelog/2019/ |access-date=October 6, 2019 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Bradley Bozeman 2020 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BozeBr00/gamelog/2020/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} In 2021, he made the shift to being the starting center.{{Cite web |title=2021 Baltimore Ravens Roster & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/2021_roster.htm |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}
=Carolina Panthers=
On March 18, 2022, Bozeman signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers.{{Cite web |last=Gantt, Darin |date=March 18, 2022 |title=Panthers agree to terms with center Bradley Bozeman |url=https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-agree-to-terms-with-center-bradley-bozeman |website=Panthers.com}}
On March 13, 2023, Bozeman signed a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Panthers.{{cite web|title=Panthers bring back Bradley Bozeman|url=https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-bring-back-bradley-bozeman|author=Gantt, Darin|website=Panthers.com|date=March 13, 2023}}
On March 13, 2024, Bozeman was released by the Panthers.{{cite web|title=Panthers release three players at start of league year|url=https://www.panthers.com/news/panthers-release-three-players-at-start-of-league-year|author=Gantt, Darin|website=Panthers.com|date=March 13, 2024}}
=Los Angeles Chargers=
On March 18, 2024, Bozeman signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.{{cite web|title=Los Angeles Chargers Sign Bradley Bozeman|url=https://www.chargers.com/news/los-angeles-chargers-sign-bradley-bozeman-2024|website=Chargers.com|date=March 18, 2024}} He was named the starting center, and started all 17 games.
On March 10, 2025, Bozeman signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension with the Chargers.{{cite web|title=Los Angeles Chargers Agree to Extensions with Bozeman and Scott|url=https://www.chargers.com/news/agree-to-extensions-with-bradely-bozeman-and-jk-scott-2025|website=Chargers.com|date=March 10, 2025}}
Personal life
Bozeman proposed to Alabama basketball player Nikki Hegstetter in 2018, after the College Football Playoff championship game against Georgia.{{cite web | last=Anderson | first=Joel | title=Take a knee: Bama center proposes after win | website=ESPN.com | date=2018-01-09 | url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/22011046/alabama-crimson-tide-center-bradley-bozeman-proposes-girlfriend-national-title-win?device=featurephone | access-date=2024-10-10}} They married on March 23, 2019.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
During the 2019 NFL season, Bozeman and his wife Nikki lived full-time in an RV they had bought for offseason travel, but soon decided to live full-time in it. In a 2020 ESPN story, Bozeman estimated that the move saved them about $1,800 per month in rent. After the season, they traveled the U.S. in a smaller donated RV, combining anti-bullying presentations to student groups with sightseeing side trips until their venture was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic. The couple initially planned to live in their larger RV for at least two more years, but found a house they felt they could not pass up, and planned to move into it upon their return from their cross-country trip.{{Cite web |last=Hensley |first=Jamison |date=March 14, 2020 |title=Living the RV life with Ravens lineman Bradley Bozeman |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28893198/living-rv-life-ravens-lineman-bradley-bozeman |access-date=March 14, 2020 |website=ESPN.com}}
In 2018, Bozeman and Nikki founded the Bradley & Nikki Bozeman Foundation, which focuses on at-risk children and their families to educate them on the dangers of childhood bullying.{{cite web | last=Mink | first=Ryan | title=Why Bradley Bozeman Is Ravens’ Walter Payton Man of the Year | website=Baltimore Ravens | date=2020-12-10 | url=https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/why-bradley-bozeman-is-ravens-walter-payton-man-of-the-year | access-date=2024-10-10}} In 2020, the foundation held a number of food drives in partnership with Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-09 |title=The Bradley and Nikki Bozeman Foundation holds food drive |url=https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/the-bradley-and-nikki-bozeman-foundation-holds-food-drive |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=WMAR 2 News Baltimore |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- [https://www.chargers.com/team/players-roster/bradley-bozeman/ Los Angeles Chargers bio]
- [https://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3884 Alabama Crimson Tide bio]
{{Ravens2018DraftPicks}}
{{Los Angeles Chargers roster navbox}}
{{2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{2017 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bozeman, Bradley}}
Category:People from Roanoke, Alabama
Category:Players of American football from Alabama
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:American football centers
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Baltimore Ravens players