Terry Bradshaw

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Scott Fulkerson [send private message], Janine Isleman [send private message], and Notables Project WikiTree [send private message]

Terry Bradshaw is notable. Join: Notables Project Discuss: notables

Biography

Terry Bradshaw has Appalachian roots.

Terry Bradshaw is an American NFL football player, sportscaster and analyst, as well as singer and actor.

Early Years

Terry Paxton Bradshaw was born on September 2, 1948 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is the son of William Marvin Bradshaw Novis Gay Bradshaw. Terry was a middle child of five, with both an older and younger brother. His father was in the U.S. Army, so they travelled around due to his career. In early childhood while they were in Camanche, Iowa, Terry made a commitment to pursue a football career that he never gave up. As a teenager, the family returned to Shreveport, where Terry attended Woodlawn High School. It was at Woodlawn where he began his football career as a starting quarterback. Terry led the team to the state championship, but lost the final game with a close score of 12-9. He was also talented in track and field, setting the national record for the javelin throw.

Early Football Career

Terry enrolled in Louisiana Tech University and was second string for his first two years. As a junior and starting quarterback, he led the NCAA in total yards passed and led his team to a win in the Rice Bowl. As a senior, he was third in the NCAA in total yards due to the fact that his team did so well that he often was pulled out by halftime to allow other quarterbacks to play.

Terry was the number one pick in the NFL draft in 1970, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had an abysmal season in 1969, ending at 1-13, and desperately needed help in the quarterback role. His first season was spent learning the role, and while he started about half the games, he soon realized that he had a lot to learn in this new league. By his second season, he had taken over as starter and amassed a good number of yards, but threw too many interceptions for the Steelers to manage a winning season. By his third season, he had settled down into the role, and began to show the promise that the Steelers had hoped for.

In 1972, the Steelers had developed their "Steel Curtain" defense and had two powerful running backs in Franco Harris and Rocky Blier. The combination allowed Terry to lead them to an 11-3 season and a shot in the playoffs. During the AFC Divisional game, Terry threw what many have termed the "immaculate reception" to wide receiver Franco Harris, which is considered to be one of the most famous plays in NFL history. Unfortunately, they lost in the AFC Championship and would have to wait for another shot at the Super Bowl.

Also in 1972, Terry would marry his first wife, teenage beauty queen Melissa Babich, who had won the 1969 Miss Teenage America pageant. They had a wonderful courtship and fell in love, but after the marriage, both began to realize this was not what they had hoped for. They spent two years coming to a final decision, and in 1974, they divorced. The two did not have any children together.

In 1973, he would share the starting role with two other quarterbacks, so his numbers declined, but the Steelers managed a solid winning record and managed to make it into the Wild Card game of the playoffs. They lost the game 33-14, and yet again would have to wait another year for the Super Bowl. The year was marked considerably more by the incredible performance of the defense, as opposed to any specific success by the offense.

Super Bowl Years

Terry lost the starting role in 1974, so he had to settle for backing up Joe Gilliam. This didn't last long, and after the first six regular season games, the Steelers had watched Gilliam's performance steadily decline. The decision was made to pull Gilliam in favor of Terry and he was determined to show he deserved the starting spot. He carried the team to five wins and two close divisional losses. The record put them in the Divisional playoffs. This year, they won both the Divisional and AFC Championship games and made it into the Super Bowl. Terry completed nine of fourteen passes, and completed a critical fourth quarter pass for a touchdown that put the game out of reach of the Minnesota Vikings to win the game. It was both Terry's first and Pittsburgh's first Super Bowl win.

In 1975, the Steelers, led by Terry's performance, dominated the AFC with a 12-2 record, and appeared determined to repeat their previous years' performance. Terry had one of his best performances as a quarterback that year, and was bolstered by wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, both of whom had joined the team as rookies the previous year. They played exceptionally well in the Divisional playoff game, but suffered seven turnovers in the AFC Championship game, barely coming away with a win. They faced a tough opponent in the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl, and many felt the odds were not in their favor. The game was close, but due greatly in part to Terry's 4 passes for 161 yards to Lynn Swann that earned Lynn the MVP, the Steelers managed to repeat their victory and became the third team in history to win two Super Bowls.

1976 marked his second marriage. He and ice skater Alicia "JoJo" Starbuck were married and while they had no children, the marriage marked a period of stability as it related to his personal life. At the same time, 1976 was a difficult year for his football career. He suffered neck and wrist injuries that caused him to miss four games, then as the team was poised to gain momentum in the playoffs, both of his starting running backs suffered season ending injuries, and they lost to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game. 1977 was also not a good year for Terry and the Steelers. While they managed a 9-5 season through a number of off-field issues, they lost in the first round of the playoffs and sat out the rest of the playoffs as a result.

Terry would go on to help the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls, in 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979. He was the first quarterback to win three and four Super Bowls.

Sources

• Wikipedia

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ5F-CQCG : 20 July 2020), Terry Bradshaw, 2005-2006.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ5F-HNV7 : 20 July 2020), Terry Bradshaw, 2008.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ1T-R8B8 : 14 August 2020), Terry Bradshaw, 2008.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ5F-HKF3 : 20 July 2020), Terry Bradshaw, 2005-2008.

• https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0103537/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm