FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2025                                                                  

Contact: Pamela Farrar, Executive Director

pam@edwardsvillecommunityfoundation.org

(855) 464-322

The Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) is pleased to announce a new scholarship to honor the late Morris Bradshaw, Edwardsville High School (EHS)  Class of 1970, a graduate of Ohio State University and a 9-year veteran of the National Football League. This scholarship will recognize a senior EHS football team member who embodies Mr. Bradshaw's attributes, which include athletic accomplishment, leadership, academic achievement, citizenship, and integrity. The award will provide a $2,000 scholarship with its inaugural recipient to be chosen in the Spring of 2026.

“We want to honor a friend, teammate, and an accomplished professional who was a great athlete and competitor, yet he was an even better man. He was such a good guy: kind, caring, supportive, optimistic, insightful, and curious. Brad was a loving husband to Deb, EHS Class of  1968 (nee Paur) and a great dad and grandfather. He had a hearty laugh and could always find humor in any situation. He was a beautiful man in every way,” said Bob Preloger, EHS Class of 1970 and fund sponsor of the scholarship.

Mr. Bradshaw was a standout football, basketball, and track and field athlete at EHS, where he graduated as the career rushing leader in football with 1,845 yards. As co-captain his senior year, he rushed for a single-season record 1,150 yards with an average of 5.9 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns. He was selected to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat’s All-East Side Dream Team and named the paper’s High School Football Player of the Year after a vote of area coaches. Scholastic Magazine named Bradshaw an All-American, a first in EHS history. In track and field, Bradshaw was a two-time state medalist, finishing second in the 100-yard dash at the state meet in 1969 and 1970. At Ohio State University, Bradshaw played for legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes in two Rose Bowl games.

During his nine-year NFL career, including the first eight with Oakland and the last with the New England Patriots, Bradshaw caught 90 passes for 1,416 yards and 12 touchdowns. In addition, he was an exceptional special teams player. He played in 112 games, including 31 starts, and was a member of Raider teams that won Super Bowl XI (1977) and XV (1981). EHS retired his number 31 in 1970, the first in EHS history, and he was inducted into the EHS Athletic Hall of Fame as part of its first class in 1981 and into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

In 1989, Bradshaw returned to the Raiders organization in a front-office position as a senior administrator. He served as the team’s director of alumni relations, preserving and promoting the relationships between the organization, its fans, and its more than 970 alumni. Bradshaw dearly loved his work in the Raiders front office and retired in 2018.  

“Although I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Bradshaw, he was a man dedicated to making his community a better place. We are honored to support the continuation of his legacy.” ECF executive director said. “ECF is also pleased to offer the Nadine Penelton Bradshaw Scholarship, named in memory of Mr. Bradshaw’s mother, to assist a local student attending vocational or trade school.”

To donate to this fund, click here or mail a check to ECF-Morris Bradshaw Scholarship, PO Box 102, Edwardsville, IL, 62025 

To learn more about Morris Bradshaw, see MorrisBradshaw.com