Ellender track champ jumps to Northwestern football

Sometimes, athletes have to take risks.

For Ellender graduate and state Class 4A triple jump champion Bradford Matthews that means, despite having accepted a full track scholarship to Northwestern State University, he will try to earn a walk-on position on the football team.

Matthews was a four-year player at wide receiver, safety and kick returner for the Patriots.

In his senior season, the 6-foot, 1-inch, 175-pounder caught 21 passes for 347 yards and seven touchdowns.

On the track, besides winning the triple jump, he was on the 400-meter relay team, which finished seventh at the state finals.

SportsNet caught up with Matthews as he prepared to leave this week for workouts with the Northwestern football team in Natchitoches.

SportsNet: How many years did you run track at Ellender?

Bradford Matthews: I only ran track my junior and senior years.

SN: What made you decide to get into track?

BM: Coach [Tawaskie] Anderson said he wanted me on the track team. He said it would make me faster. So I tried it out and I liked it.

SN: Did you do the jumps as well as run track your junior year?

BM: I did the triple jump, long jump and I ran relays.

SN: What was it like competing in and winning the state championship?

BM: It was nice. I’ll never forget it. It gave me a competitive edge. It pushed me to do my best, so I did. The jump that won the title (47 feet, 2 inches) was a personal best.

SN: What made you decide to accept a scholarship offer from Northwestern State?

BM: Mainly because of the coaching they have up there for track. Legendary coach Leon Johnson has been there 26 years. He’s won a lot of championships, and his son Dean, the jumping coach, has put probably three or four kids in the Olympics already. That’s what I want to do, make the Olympics. I believe this is my best opportunity – to work with them.

SN: I hear you will try to walk on to the football team as well?

BM: Yes sir, I will try out as a walk-on. I am going to workouts in a week.

SN: Does coach Johnson know about your plans to try to play football?

BM: I talked to both of them (Johnson and head football coach Scott Stoker) when I went up for my visit. Coach Stoker wants me to walk-on for the football team and coach Johnson said, ‘Sure, why not?'”

SN: That’s rare to have a track athlete walk-on for football at the collegiate level. Usually it’s the other way around.

BM: Yeah, well, football is what I really love playing. That’s why I ran track, to get better in football. I want to continue my football career as well.

SN: Most people wouldn’t take the risk of a football injury when you have a full track scholarship in hand. You love football enough to risk it?

BM: Yeah, I’ll take the risk. I’ve been taking the risk the last four years. I got lucky with no injuries.

SN: For football, are you going out for wide receiver or safety?

BM: Both.

SN: Which do you prefer, offense or defense?

BM: I like offense a little bit more, but I’ll play either one as long as I’m on the field.

SN: Are you only going to do triple jump on the track team?

BM: I’ll be doing the triple jump, long jump, and I’ll be sprinting the 60-meter dash and the 4×100-meter relay.

SN: What do you plan on majoring in at Northwestern State?

BM: I’m thinking about either economics or biochemical engineering.

SN: What draws you to those fields?

BM: I want to be in international economic affairs where you go to other countries and help them fix their financial problems. In biochemical engineering, that’s where the money really is.

SN: So what do you want to do after your track and football careers?

BM: If everything goes well with football and track, I’ll try and make the 2012 Olympic team.

SN: Do you see the NFL as a destination for you?

BM: Yeah. I think I can make it. My speed will help me get there. That’s my main goal – to try and make the NFL.

Ellender track champ jumps to Northwestern football