Late bloomer blossoms in football

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This article was published 18/06/2014 (4322 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I always find it a fascinating when an athlete gets into a sport a little late and then blossoms into a remarkable force.

Such is the case for Brady Oliveira. Brady is a budding  young football star. He is just 16 years old, lives in Garden City, and is about to complete Grade 11 at Oak Park High School.

Brady has been offered a “full ride” scholarship at the University of North Dakota, which plays in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA’s Division I.

Brady only started playing the game when he was 12.

“I started playing soccer and then someone suggested I try football,” he says. “I started out kicking, due to my soccer background, then moved to slotback, and then moved to running back. I fell in love with the game.”

Brady is fiercely focused on being successful, not only with the game and his training, but with his education and life in general.

“My biggest aspiration was to get a full scholarship to an American Division I school, and then go to the NFL. My grades are good, all in the 80s.

“I know I need good grades to get a scholarship.”

I was impressed by the resolve in Brady’s voice when he mentioned the NFL.

“I’m going to make it. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there. I know it’s a big goal, especially for a Canadian.”

Brady asked me to give a shout out to Recruit Ready, who helped him secure his scholarship offer, and also to Brad Black, Kelly Butler, Willy Sheils and Blair Atkinson.

Brady is very close to his family. He has an older brother Kyle, and a younger sister Kallee.

The way Brady spoke of his mom, Shani, made me feel proud.

“She is why I work so hard,” he said.

“I want to give back to her. She deserves to live like a queen. My brother, sister, and I all have the same mentality…

“Do it for Mom.”

Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Troy Westwood is co-host of The Big Show, every weekday morning from 6 to 10 a.m. on TSN 1290 radio. He writes about Winnipeg’s unsung sports heroes every other week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. If you know of an athlete whose story Troy should tell, contact him at: troy.westwood@bellmedia.ca