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The DiCecco Daily: An Audio Story Of My Interview With James Bradberry · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: When I think back on my time covering former Eagles
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: cornerback James Bradbury, some of the words that come to
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: mind are thoughtful, introspective, intelligent, and accountable. So when I
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: caught wind that Bradbury was trying his hand in coaching
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: at Camden Catholic in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, I made
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: sure to arrange a trip to Cherry Hill to catch
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: up with the former Eagles cornerback. This podcast is designed
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: to offer a bird's eye view of Bradbury's post-playing career,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: along with some notable Eagles-related commentary with perspective from the
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: man himself. Welcome in, everyone, to another episode of DiCecco Daily.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, Andrew DiCecco, Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: More than two years have elapsed since James Bradbury took
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: his final NFL snap. The adoration and fanfare that once
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: followed him for nine seasons, the final three of which
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: were spent in Philadelphia, might be all but a distant memory,
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: but Bradbury has discovered new ways to whet his competitive
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: appetite in the early stages of his post-playing career.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: Well, I play basketball on Wednesdays and Fridays in the morning.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: We start at 5.30 if anybody wants to attend over
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: at Lifetime in Mount Laurel. It's kind of competitive, but,
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: you know, we also, people don't get out of hand.
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: You know, we try to keep it up.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Keep uh what's it called um competitive a friendly it's
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: friendly it's friendly competitive you know so we play wednesday
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: friday 5 30 in the morning i also do upper
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: body on mondays use monday is my hardest day uh
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: because i run as well like on the treadmill and
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: stuff tuesdays i try to do lower body saturday and
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: sunday i usually spend time with the family but my
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: son has swimming lessons right now on saturday uh so
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: we get in the pool on saturdays and sometimes.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: Sunday Bradbury, a native of Alabama, originally intended to move
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: his family to the Atlanta area once school let out
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: for the summer, but a time crunch forced his hand.
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: The school his daughter attends required an update on her
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: status for the upcoming school year, and Bradbury, coming down
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: to the wire, chose stability.
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: Really, it was my daughter. My daughter's in school.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: So we were planning on moving once she got out
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: of school last year, but we hadn't taken the initiative
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: to actually look at schools and also housing. in the
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: Atlanta area, because we was planning on moving down to Georgia.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: So we didn't do that. And then the time frame
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: from when the school needed to know if she was
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: going to be coming back or not, returning, it was
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: getting close to that time period. So we decided to
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: put her back in the school because she enjoyed being
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: at that school. We decided to stick around for another
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: year and see how it goes.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: Those workouts that Bradbury outlined filled the void created in
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: the absence of football. But a case of serendipity summoned
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: Bradbury back to a familiar place.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: It was actually a guy that I work out with
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: over at Lifetime. So I work out at Lifetime Gym.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: And it was a guy that approached me when, throughout
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: the summer, he was approaching me and talking to me
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: about what I was going to be doing with my
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: life now that I'm retired and stuff. And he said, man,
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: you should get into coaching, man. You should actually look
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: into Camden Catholic. Because my sons actually went there and
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: attended school. They feel like they have a good overall, one, culture,
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: also school system. But also they got up and coming.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: football team that could probably use your help if any
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: of your knowledge that you got.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: The school announced recently that Bradbury would join the football
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: staff as an assistant. In his role, Bradbury won't have
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: to give too many impassioned speeches. Those duties fall under
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Martino's job description. But coaching can call for being vocal
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: and verbally assertive, which would require Bradbury to take some
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: coaching while also giving it.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would think that was the one thing I
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: was concerned about is because I'm not really much of
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: a talker.
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: I also don't yell that much.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: And I feel like there's a time and place for that,
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: and there's a time and place that you need that
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: with a football team. But I think Coach Martino, he
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: does a really good job of motivating the guys.
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: I'm actually taking tips.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: On his speeches, you know, when he gives his speeches
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: and stuff, because that's actually pretty motivating. Of course, sometimes
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: he raises his voice, which you need that, I feel like,
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: in sports in general. And I feel like people are
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: trying to take that out of the game, but that's
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: a whole other conversation. But I would say, you know,
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: I just try to, one, teach them all the techniques
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: and fundamentals that was taught to me when I was
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: growing up, but also help to motivate them so they
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: can use whatever they learn out here on the field,
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: also in the real world once they leave the field.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: The day before Camden Catholic's first game of the season
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: and Bradbury's first ever as a coach, the 2022 All-Pro
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: was spotted giving instruction to some of his players. Camden
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: Catholic was preparing to face Pensalkin, but Bradbury managed to
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: cut away for a moment to discuss his most recent endeavor.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: I don't really have any jitters. I'm just hoping that
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: I've done everything that I can as a coach. Really,
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: these coaches have done a good job of laying the
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: foundation and being here since training camp, and also they
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: had him in the spring working on it and stuff.
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: So they've already....
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: Put down the foundation for what type of team we're
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: going to have come Friday. I just hope that I
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: can be there to support these guys any way that
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: I can throughout the game.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: What's your official title?
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: My official title, I would assume, is associate football coach,
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: assistant football coach. Really, I would say I'm volunteering my
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: time and efforts out here, but I'm a coach now.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: One thing that piqued my curiosity was just how the
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: players would perceive someone joining the staff who had played
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: the game at a high level. earning a Pro Bowl
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: berth in 2020 and an All-Pro in 2024.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: It's a little bit of everything. I think I've been
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: around here for about two weeks now. I feel like the.
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: All phase has kind of settled down, where they were
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: kind of in shock that I.
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: Was out there.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: Of course, I don't always see myself in that light
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: as being a nine-year veteran that played in the NFL
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: and it's dreams.
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: That they want to accomplish.
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: But they do ask me questions from time to time,
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: and I really just want to be out here to
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: motivate them to see that it is possible that you
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: can achieve your goals if you put the time and.
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: The work in.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: Bradbury didn't have the opportunity to leave the game on
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: his own terms, suffering a season-ending injury in late August
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: of 2024, his final season with the Eagles and in
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: the NFL. He suffered an Achilles injury that he said
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: didn't require surgery because, and I quote, wasn't fully torn.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: I've definitely come to terms with it. You know, it
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: is what it is at the end of the day.
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: I feel like in football, you never know how it's
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: going to end.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: And I'm appreciative that I got to be around the
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: league for nine years.
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: I got to play at a high level for eight
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: of those years.
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: So I don't know if you ever come to terms
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: with how your career ends because I don't think you
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: ever want your career to end when you play football.
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: For as long as I did.
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: But I would say being out here coaching these young guys,
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: it kind of gives me a sense of satisfaction still
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: being around the game, being able to teach and pass
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: my knowledge on to the next generation.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: Bradbury played his final NFL snap on August 15, 2024,
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: the Eagles' second preseason game that summer. The 33-year-old did
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: leave the game as a Super Bowl champion, however, serving
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: a crucial ancillary role behind the scenes where his ability
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: to teach and provide an extra set of eyes proved
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: to be an invaluable resource.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: I would say, first of all, they had a good
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: coach in Roy Anderson and also Christian Parker.
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: Of course, now he's at D.C. with the Cowboys.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: So from that perspective, I just, you never want to
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: overstep your boundaries. You know, when you come in and
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: there's new guys coming in, you want them to be
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: able to put their foot first into the locker room
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: or not the locker room, but into the meeting room
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: and lay the foundation for how they want the meeting
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: room to look and how they want it to work
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: and the coach that they want to sit in the
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: meeting room, so I never wanted to overstep my boundaries.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: Same way I come out here, I just try to
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: input wherever they need me to put my two cents in,
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: give out advice as far as technique and culture, I
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: guess you could say.
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: But I was just there to support, man. I was
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: in the background.
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: Whenever they needed to ask me a question, I was
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: always open to answering it. Yeah, I just try to
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: find my niche, find my role wherever I can.
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: Bradbury witnessed the emergence of rookies Quinion Mitchell and Cooper
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: DeGene from the ground level, serving as a mentor of
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: sorts for both players. Watching from afar, Bradbury beamed with
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: pride when reflecting on both players. While Bradbury was asked
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: to kick inside some early in the 2023 season, his
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: background as a pure outside cornerback relates most to Mitchell,
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: whom Bradbury knew right away possessed every skill a coach
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: could ask for.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: Oh, man, you could tell the talent was already there.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: He was already fast, quick. He checked off all the
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: boxes as far as measurables and athletic ability. And you
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: can definitely see in his two years. Now, he's going
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: into his third year, correct?
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: So his first two years, you can kind of tell,
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: you know, he's learning quickly.
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: About just the overall game of football.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: And now, you know, whenever I saw him this past
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: spring at Capitol Grill, and I always joke about him, man,
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: you just got to catch the ball. You catch the ball, man,
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: you'll be pro bowl, all pro for the rest of
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: your career. All you got to do is catch the
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: ball every year. because he does everything else right. He's
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: just got to catch the ball. So he's already got it, man,
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: him and Cooper.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: Many will remember Bradbury for his All-Pro campaign in 2022
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: when he teamed with another veteran and Eagles great in
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: Darius Slay, comprising one of the league's better cornerback duos.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: There was no bigger advocate for Bradbury than the ultra-charismatic Slay,
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: who seemingly found a way to tout his more reserved
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: counterpart at every turn.
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: You know, I kind of always foreshadowed that in his career. Well,
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: foreshadowed that when I was playing with him because he's
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: such an energetic personality. I knew he could make a
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: mark on the media side. So I'm glad to see
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: that he's doing well. Of course, he's been taking care
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: of his body. I don't know if you've seen his
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: boxing reels. Yes.
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: He's been posting. You know, he's always going to take
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: care of his body.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: I just wish him and his family the best in
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: the near future. And you know what? I need to
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: call him. I haven't called him in a while, so
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: I'm glad you reminded me. I need to call him
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: and check up on him.
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: Known for being a team-first player and consummate professional, Bradbury's
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: intangibles were on full display during the Eagles Super Bowl parade. Mitchell,
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: as many will recall, appeared to be enjoying himself a
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: tad much as he wobbled off the float. Bradbury was
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: by his side, propping him up and ushering him away,
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: ensuring the rookie didn't experience a viral moment.
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: As I've gotten older, I've really tried to concentrate on
• 10:51
  Speaker 4: my physical health, my body, making sure I'm putting the
• 10:54
  Speaker 4: right things in and the healthiest things in. I've always
• 10:57
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• 11:01
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• 11:04
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• 11:13
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  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, the parade was fun, but, you know, I
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: was having a whole lot of fun myself. So it's
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: a little hazy, but to recall the moment. You know
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: what I'm talking about, right? Yeah, I just wanted to
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: support my brother at the time. Just wanted to support him.
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: As it pertains to his future, Bradbury is actively trying
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: to figure that out. He's trying his hand at coaching
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: to see if he's a good fit and taking a
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: day-by-day approach. The only certainty is that even if he
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: looks like he could step in and play safety at
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: the drop of a dime, Bradbury has reconciled that his
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: playing career is over.
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: I haven't officially retired, but I don't plan on putting
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: the cleats on anymore unless I come out here and
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: do something with the high school guys.
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: I hope you all enjoyed this special edition of DeCecco Daily.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: It was great to catch up with James as I
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: always enjoyed my chats with him during my time covering him.
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: Really good guy. I always learn something new or solve
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: things from a different perspective. The natural progression always felt
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: like it would be coaching and we'll just have to
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: see where it all takes him. With that, that will
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: do it for this episode of DeCecco Daily. I'm Andrew
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: DeCecco and I'll catch you all on the next one.
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