By Corey Clark
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER Print Email to a friend Subscribe
MEDART - There's just no getting around it. Wakulla County, and in particular Wakulla High School, is infatuated with Nigel Bradham.
As the star linebacker was named to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Wednesday at a ceremony in the school's auditorium, and approached the podium to speak to his teachers and classmates, a number of audience members shouted, "We love you, Nigel."
Bradham, flashing that familiar wide smile, answered right back.
"I love y'all, too," he told the hundreds of people in attendance.
He then thanked his family, friends, coaches, teammates and the U.S. Army for such a "wonderful honor" before being showered with even more applause.
And it is quite an honor. Like Lincoln's T.J. Bryant, who was officially selected on Tuesday, Bradham is just one of 84 players from across the nation to be chosen to participate in the All-American Bowl, which will be played on Jan. 5 in San Antonio.
It's by far the most prestigious, most exclusive all-star high-school football game in the country, and Bradham was practically a no-brainer to be chosen.
The Florida State commitment is considered by many to be the best linebacker in the country and perhaps the best player in the state of Florida. He is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound tackling machine, who already has over 100 stops and three defensive touchdowns for the War Eagles this season.
But still, Bradham was his ever-humble self talking about the honor after the ceremony.
"This is really big," he said. "It's the biggest thing that's happened for me so far in my life, probably. And I really do appreciate the acknowledgement by the U.S. Army."
Statements like this are a big reason why Bradham appears to be so beloved by his classmates, teammates and coaches.
"For me as a young coach, it's really special to get a chance to coach someone like him," Wakulla head coach Scott Klees said. "And I'm so proud he's going to be able to go off and represent our school the right way."
Or as he told the gathered students in the auditorium during the ceremony, "Nigel is going to represent Wakulla for a long time. There's a lot of pressure, but he's the man to do it."
Not one person who was in attendance for the festivities on Wednesday seemed to doubt the head coach on that one.
