Roderick Bradley
 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. It includes attribution to IMDb, which may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help by adding additional, reliable sources for verification. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2008) |
| No. 11 London Blitz | |
| Date of birth: | March 29, 1983 |
| Place of birth: | Grantham, UK |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Status: | active |
| Position(s): | WR |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| BAFL Entry: | 2005 |
| Drafted by: | London Blitz |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 2005–present | London Blitz |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Roderick "Rod" Bradley (born 29 March 1983) is an English American footballer from Grantham, England.
Contents |
[edit] Education
Roderick “Rod” Bradley is from Grantham, England and was born on the 29th of March 1983. Rod attended Oakham School for seven years between 1994 and 2001 before going to Loughborough to study art. He graduated in 2004 with a degree in illustration from the school of art and design. At Oakham he spent his middle school career in Barrow house. From a young age it was clear that Rod was dyslexic.[citation needed] His academic subjects in school were a big weakness for him and as a result this was trouble for him both in and outside of school. However, he found solace in art, and spent much of his time drawing in exercise books. He felt that if he was going to fail in school he would work double hard at Art and Sport.[citation needed] He also experimented with film direction, and some of his directing work can be seen as he directed a film for clothing label Hijack Baselayer.[citation needed]
[edit] Sporting career
Eventually Rod started to play American Football. He excelled and became the Great Britain youth champion in less than a year.[citation needed] In the European championships he suffered a seemingly career ending injury to his knee, leaving his lower leg almost detached from the upper after ligament tears. After months of rehabilitation and surgery he could walk again, but medical advice suggested an end to his sporting career.However, he received a call up to the Great Britain squad two years later after many attempts to return to action, playing alongside his brother for his country. Currently, Rod is the Wide Receiver for the London Blitz American Football Club. He captained the team in the 2007 BritBowl and the Blitz came away with the title.Before joining the Blitz, Rod was selected to become a member of the Great British Lions squad and has competed at county and regional level as a swimmer and rugby player.
[edit] Other Ventures
Rod is also a freelance artist and design urban clothing for Rudey Arts and new sportswear for Player Layer.Rod supports many charities including the Vitiligo Society and is a great supporter of sports in schools.
[edit] Gladiators
Since 2008 Rod has been known as the lovable gladiator ‘Spartan’. Bradley was selected to become one of the 12 new Gladiators on Sky 1’s revival of the 90’s cult TV series of the same name. As Spartan, his tagline is:
| “ | Handsome, disciplined and brave. Will take on any army – the perfect warrior.[1] | ” |
And his theme tune is Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out For A Hero.[2]
Bradley's application came about by chance. While working in a hotel, he met Ian Wright, who later got him an audition.[3] Once Rod got the audition he had to go through a variety of tests, including role play! People who had audition were dropping like flies, meaning that to be a Gladiator you not only needed to be muscley but they also have to be very athletic as well. In the first series of Gladiators, Kirsty Gallagher nicknamed Rod as the “Flirt In A Skirt” and Rod was also nicknamed the “Duel King” due to his near perfect record with a pugil stick in the game "Duel".
[edit] Sporting goods
In 2009, Bradley launched Simply Baselayer, a concern for the manufacture of high-tech sports equipment. The business is headquartered in Grantham with manufacturing in Nottingham.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.gladiatorszone.co.uk/gladiators/new/male/spartan/
- ^ http://www.gladiatorszone.co.uk/gladiators/new/male/spartan/
- ^ http://www.gladiatorszone.co.uk/timeout/interviews/spartan/
- ^ Graham, Neil (March 10, 2009). "Grantham Gladiator battles the business world". The Grantham Journal. http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/Grantham-Gladiator-battles-the-business.5056051.jp. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
