text: Bradley ready to fully shed receiving past
  Posted: 04/11/09, 12:01 AM EDT | Updated: on 04/11/2009
  Maurice Bradley never knew it at the time, but a joke he told CMU football coach Butch Jones years ago may have very well changed his son's future.
  Following the 2007 football season, Jones and the Chippewa coaching staff were looking to address their lack of defensive backs for the 2008 season when Jones was forced with a tough decision to move Taylor Bradley from wide receiver to defensive back.
  Knowing the change might not sit well with Bradley, Jones recalled a conversation he had with Taylor's dad during the recruiting process that would take the heat off of him.
  "His dad joked with me when we recruited him that he could also play defensive back," Jones said. "So I called his dad and told him we were taking his advice."
  After catching 10 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown in 2007, Bradley was called in during the offseason and told the news by the coaching staff, which he took well.
  "Taylor is a true team player," Jones said. "When we approached him about the move he said he would do whatever the team needed him to do. He has really taken the position to heart and he is still learning all the idiosyncrasies of the position, but he has done a great job of maturing and developing."
  The immediate transition was rocky for Bradley, who had to develop new footwork and immediately forget his initial reactions that came from being a receiver.
  "It was rough at first because I really didn't know what to expect," Bradley said of the change. "You are so used to moving forward as a receiver and as a cornerback, you are always moving backwards. But, as time moved on I think I have improved and I am getting the hang of it."
  Last spring Bradley started to shed his receiving persona and develop into a cornerback, but he didn't expect much to happen in the fall as he was still very rough around the edges.
  However, once the season started, CMU saw its defensive backs drop like flies from injuries, which forced the Chippewas to throw Bradley into the mix.
  "It was a tough situation to have to play that early, but at the same time you have to grow up sometime," Bradley said. "Injuries happen in football and you always have to be ready to step in. Getting that experience in games helped me really progress as a defensive back."
  Ultimately, Bradley would start the final two games of the season and finish the year with 17 tackles and two pass deflections. As the season progressed, Bradley became more and more comfortable with his new position and started to develop his confidence.
  This spring, Bradley has continued to impress and is now using his past skills as a receiver to sharpen his skills in the secondary.
  "Playing receiver helped me a lot in the transition because you can read a lot about what a receiver is going to do based on his stance or his footing," Bradley said. "Having been through that process, I know what a receiver is thinking and it helps me get an idea of what to expect on the play."
  Bradley has been a standout performer this spring and he believes he has earned his spot in the starting lineup next fall, where he expects the Chippewas to be much improved.
  "I really expect to start in the fall," Bradley said. "I feel like I am having a great spring and continuing to improve and I think I can really help us be a top-five defense in the conference next season."