When the Ray Texans’ football season ended at the hands of the Wagner Thunderbirds last Fall, most everyone believed one thing: it would not be the last time Quarterback Brad Breckenridge puts of a football jersey.
The District 30 5-A MVP wrapped up a season that was historic. He tallied about 4,000 total yards and 44 total touchdowns leading the Texans the playoffs. He also earned 2nd Team All-State honors. Breckenridge was the hottest quarterback in all of South Texas and now it was time for the waiting game; where would he continue his football career.
Time passed, months passed, nothing concrete had come Breckenridge’s way. His head coach, Craig Charlton, couldn’t believe it.
“It’s hard telling a young man that nothing has come in yet when you know he’s got the talent to be there,” Coach Charlton said.
It was shocking for everyone. Breckenridge was not only a gifted quarterback, but extremely gifted in the classroom. Son of an orthopedic surgeon, the smarts were there. It seemed as if Breckenridge was the perfect prospect.
“I believed I could do it all this time,” Breckenridge said. “It’s kind of discouraging when you get nothing.”
Believe it or not, he even thought about hanging up the cleats.
“For a couple weeks I was thinking maybe it wasn’t meant to be.”
Finally, a team came to their senses and scooped up Breckenridge before other teams realized he was on the market. Amherst College, a small division three school in the Northeast, signed Breckenridge.
Amherst College is academically challenging. It rivals some of the Ivy League colleges in the surrounding area. They were in need of some good quarterback play and Breckenridge fit the mold.
“I went to the school and fell in love with it.”
The wait was finally over. Shockingly long, Breckenridge thinks he’s found his place.
“I think in the end it all turned out good.”
But now he’s got a chip on his shoulder, ready to show coaches and programs who passed up on him the error of their ways.
“It’ll be good for me going into college,” he said. “I need to show them that I could have played on that level.”
Coastal Bend football fans will have one last opportunity to see what some consider to be one of the best signal callers the area has seen one last time. He will suit up for the East All-Star team in the annual Coastal Bend Coaches Association all star game.
