Bradford spent four years with the Texans where he compiled 130 catches for 1,992 yards and 18 touchdowns.
EDITOR'S NOTE: *This offseason, HoustonTexans.com will get back in touch with former Texans to find out what they're up to now in their post-NFL lives. Below is the fourth installment of our "Where are they now?" series. *
Corey Bradford went through his fair share of highs and lows during his nine-year NFL career. The Louisiana native was selected in the fifth round of the 1998 draft by the Green Bay Packers. In his second pro season, he recorded 37 catches for 637 yards and five touchdowns. The following year, he fractured his left fibula in a preseason game and was sidelined for almost the entire 2000 season.
Bradford got a chance to start over in Houston, when he joined the team as part of the 2002 expansion draft. That year, Bradford's career reached new heights.
The wide receiver notched a career-high 45 catches for 697 yards and six touchdowns. He also left his legacy with the Texans in the most memorable game of his life.
"I will never forget it," Bradford said. "The first game we ever had was at home against Dallas, and that was all everybody cared about – beating the Cowboys. The whole city just wanted to beat Dallas. We were all tied up late in the game and both teams were having trouble scoring. Then, David Carr threw me a pretty good pass and I made something happen. It was a 65-yard game-winning touchdown.
"After I hit the endzone, I jumped into the stands just like we would do at Lambeau, like the 'Lambeau Leap.' I think when people think back to me as a Texan, they will remember that touchdown and that moment."
{QUOTE}Bradford spent four years with the Texans, compiling 130 catches for 1,992 yards and 18 touchdowns. He signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent in 2006 and played in just nine games. The following year, he hung up his cleats and began a new chapter in his life.
When Bradford reflects on a bumpy pro career, he says it's hard not to question some of his decisions.
"In football, there are a lot of should have, would have, could haves," he said. "At Green Bay, I was used to go going to the playoffs every year. Being on a team knowing that you were going to the playoffs and then going to a team that was starting from scratch was hard. Sometimes I look back and think, 'Should I have stayed in Green Bay?' But I can say that I have no regrets. I am glad that I came to Houston."
Bradford still lives in the Houston area, where he spends most of his time staying in shape and fishing.
"After I finished playing, I felt like my whole body had turned into scar tissue," Bradford said. "When I would get up and move, everything would hurt. I was lucky because I didn't have any major injuries, and it helps that I work out every day. I just love working out. I have done it my whole life, and it keeps me motivated. I also go fishing every day; it's my cheap addiction.
"It's a challenge when you finish playing. I tell players to find something they enjoy doing that is challenging and keeps their mind off of football. When I first stopped playing, my body was like a clock. I woke up every day at a certain time and I found myself sitting around wondering what I was going to do for the day. I really had to find a way to make a schedule for myself each day. That's why I love working out and fishing; it gets me up early and keeps me active all day."
And Bradford doesn't have to look far to see the legacy he has left with the Texans. Every time All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson scores a touchdown at Reliant Stadium, he leaps into the stands - just like Bradford did when he decided to bring the "Lambeau Leap" to Houston in the team's first game in 2002. Wide receivers Kevin Walter, André Davis and Jacoby Jones also have caught on to the act in recent years.
"The Texans' wall is a little higher than the one at Lambeau," Bradford said. "When I first saw it, I thought, 'We have a nice wall here; I think I'll bring this thing to Houston.' So I started doing it, and pretty soon all the other guys were doing it, too. 'Dre (Johnson) still does it.
"He jumps a lot higher than me, but he's keeping it going. I like seeing that."
