Longtime Cotton Bowl photographer passes away at 101

Dave Wilson, ESPN Personnel WriterOct 13, 2023, 12:35 PM ET

Close

Dave Wilson is an editor for ESPN.com since 2010. He previously operated at The Dallas Early Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Sun.James T.”Brad”Bradley, who

photographed 75 Cotton Bowls, going back to Heisman Prize winner Doak Walker’s first look in the game in 1948, died Friday early morning at his Dallas home, according to the Cotton Bowl. He was 101. Bradley photographed every game other than for the 2020

contest during the COVID-19 pandemic, the only game he missed in 76 years. He photographed this year’s Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame enshrinement in May.” My life, I believe, was extended because of the pleasure that I gathered from circumnavigating the country, dealing with athletes,”Bradley told WFAA in Dallas this year.Bradley attended Ohio State and first ended up being thinking about the occupation after enjoying a classmate, four-time gold medalist Jesse Owens, and wishing to photo him. Bradley later on came to Dallas at the urging of his father-in-law, Jim Laughead, who shot sports photos for colleges around the country.Together, Bradley and Laughead pioneered the renowned”Huck & Dollar”style of pictures, where players were posturing with stiff-arms, jumping or diving towards the camera. The style ended up being popular beginning in the 1950s and ended up being the requirement present for media guides or football cards. By 1970, they were the professional photographers for 35 colleges and 12 NFL teams, according to the Cotton Bowl. “Mr. Bradley is a Cotton Bowl Classic treasure,” Cotton Bowl Athletic Association president and CEO Rick Baker stated in a statement.”His impact on our game and generations of sports fans is really countless. Brad has actually been a fixture at our game given that Doak Walker played in the Classic in 1948. He lived such an amazing life and we will miss him dearly. We will constantly remember and celebrate him as a Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Famer.”Former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum knew Bradley dating to his time as a player at McNeese State.”I have actually got a picture of me holding a ball out in front of me like I was capturing a pass hanging on my wall”from a Laughead session at McNeese, Slocum stated.”They ‘d state,’OK, now, huck and dollar, huck and buck.’You needed to run at the cam and turn like you are making a big cut.” Slocum later coached in the Cotton Bowl seven times, and Bradley was always present. “I bet there’s not one person on the planet who didn’t like Brad,”

Slocum stated. “I’ve got nothing however actually excellent memories of being around him.” Bradley was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Popularity in 2007 and the College Football Hall of Fame included the Bradley-Laughead archives with an unique exhibition in 2018. Bradley was also honored in the SMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.