Athlete of the Week: Brenden Hadley

Lakewood Ranch High senior wide receiver Brenden Hadley was named the offensive MVP of the Adidas Blue-Grey Super Combine June 15, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Hadley, who participated in the event for the first time, was one of 35 players selected for the invitation-only event.

During the combine, Hadley participated in a series of drills, including the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, vertical jump, broad jump and bench press.

I was excited to be named the MVP. It was a good opportunity to take advantage of. I did really well on the one-on-one. Awards were given out for testing, and I got the overall offensive MVP.

It meant a lot to be chosen to compete in the super combine. It was a good opportunity to take advantage of and get that exposure for college. I don’t know how many more (opportunities) I’ll get, so this was good for me. There’s a good chance I could now be selected for the Blue-Grey All-American game in a few weeks.

I used to watch football and my dad played football, so when I was really little, I started playing flag football for the Police Athletic League and I just worked my way up. I just like winning and the bond you can get with your teammates.

I used to play safety, but two years ago, I switched to wide receiver. I like offense better now. I got used to it, and I’m better at offense. I don’t have to deal with all of the hitting, which can be really hard on your body.

Right before spring football, I started working with trainer and former NFL wide receiver Larry Ryans. He’s helped me with the technical details of being a wide receiver. He’s helped me with the little stuff to get better.

Sammy Watkins, who just got drafted by the Buffalo Bills, is probably my favorite player. He’s fast. He runs crisp routes. He’s tough on the field, and he’s hard to guard.

I want to go to the playoffs my senior year. We just have to take it one game at a time. Hopefully then I can go on to play college football.

My fondest football moment was probably beating Braden River this past season. It was a rivalry game, and it ended up being a really close and good game.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected]