Alex Bravo
# Alex Bravo

Alexander Bravo (July 27, 1930 – September 1, 2020) was an American football player. He played defensive back with the Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders, as well as the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

## Early life

Bravo graduated from Santa Barbara High School, where he was an all-state halfback.

## College career

He played college football at California Polytechnic State University and is a member of their athletic hall of fame (inducted 1988). For Cal Poly, Bravo collected all-conference honors in 1951, 1952 and 1953, along the way earning the nickname "Boom Boom" for his explosive running style.

Collegiate Statistics (Varsity) :

| Season | School | Rush. Att. | Rush. Yds. | Avg. | LG | Overall Pts. |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1951 (So.) | CP | 131 | 850 | 6.5 | 77 | 48 |
| 1952 (Jr.) | CP | 132 | 702 | 5.3 | 85 | 42 |
| 1953 (Sr.) | CP | 111 | 686 | 6.2 | n/a | 61 |
| Totals | | 374 | 2,238 | 6.0 | 85 | 151 |

## Professional career

After being selected 106th overall by the L.A. Rams in the 1954 NFL Draft, Bravo would later go on to sign with the then-AFL's Oakland Raiders. Bravo was converted primarily to defensive back at the pro level.

NFL and AFL Statistics :

| Year | Team | GP | GS | INT | INT Ret. Yds. | FR |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1957 | LAR | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1958 | LAR | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1960 | OAK | 14 | 14 | 4 | 64 | 0 |
| 1961 | OAK | 14 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | | 46 | 33 | 6 | 64 | 1 |

Bravo continued his involvement in sports, working as a football official and track and field starter into his late 80s.

