Talon Talk Ep. 32: "I Always Just Land On My Feet" -- Julian Bradley
5/7/2020 12:30:00 PM | General, Men's Tennis
In edition number 32 of Talon Talk we take an inside look at the journey of a former student-athlete and UNF men's tennis player, Julian Bradley.
A native of Ireland, Bradley came to Jacksonville in 2014 and played two seasons of tennis for the Ospreys, helping contribute to a 2016 ASUN Title. Bradley's tennis journey began roughly a decade earlier when he picked up a tennis racquet in his early teens for the first time in his life.
It's taken him to North Florida, all across North America and even Uganda. Today we take an inside look at the path and how he has adjusted his life during the lockdown.
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"What is this guy doing?! He could be pulling teeth for a decent wage and now he is sleeping on couches and bumming around!"
Pulling teeth as in dentistry -- that could have been the path that Julian Bradley took when he was at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, studying dentistry.
"At the same time I was playing tons of tennis," Bradley said. "I nearly got kicked out of dentistry school because I wasn't turning up for lectures, was just playing tennis and it was quite strict. I had a few good results [in tennis tournaments], and I thought, wow, the doors are open and I could play in America."
For those that know Bradley, the rest is history. The doors were open, but it wasn't without a grind. In fact, rewind just a few years earlier and Bradley hadn't even picked up a racquet yet, having played gaelic football and hurling.
"I was just like anyone out there in a public park," Bradley said. "At 14 or 15 there was a group lesson offered each week, but it was really more like babysitting in a way. I remember when I was in boarding school there was a big sporting hall. Before study hall I would just hit against a wall and loved that freedom, hitting the ball and improving."
As custom for teens in Ireland, many take a transition year that sends them to another country for an immersion experience, to a job to learn a profession or just to work. Bradley traveled to France, sharpened his French but came back to his home country with a spark to pursue tennis.
"When I came back I really started playing a ton of tennis," Bradley said.
Everyday he took the hour and a half bus trip into Dublin and would spend countless hours competing.Â
"That's when I started to improve and thought, 'I would love to get better and play for the Davis Cup. I thought, wow, this is what I want to do," Bradley said.
Bradley began to play each weekend, adding tournament experience. Unfortunately, at the start of what would be his freshman year in the traditional collegiate path in the states, Bradley couldn't quite get the opportunity to play in the U.S., leading him to dental school.
Bradley started from scratch in reaching out to universities in the U.S., getting a big lift and some guidance from former NC State standout, Conor Taylor. Opportunities began to blossom at Notre Dame, NC State and North Florida before the Ospreys eventually won him over.
"When I took a visit to North Florida, I loved the place," Bradley said. "I thought the campus was unreal and the facilities and weather were amazing."
Then, the 21-year old incoming junior put things on hold in Dublin and went across the pond, coming to UNF at the start of the 2014 fall season.
At first, the stark change in climate really put a spin on the game for Bradley.
"It was eye opening," Bradley said. "I kind of thought I'd come over, work hard and start to do amazing … I come over here and I'm slapping the ball around and it's coming back. I had to build patience, it's so humid and I was nowhere near how fit I thought I was."
Bradley worked through the fall slate and got into a groove after getting his wind and feet underneath him by the time the spring season came around. The 2014-15 season was Bradley's first in the Navy and Gray, and it featured a slew of talented players. The Ospreys went 17-7 and 5-1 in ASUN play, coming up just shy of the conference title as the runner up.
Next year, they made it happen, winning UNF's first ASUN men's tennis title.
The next chapter of Bradley's tennis journey was about to begin as well. Initially he intended on staying on as a member during the fall campaign, although a wrist injury kept him from competing. While completing his degree, Bradley aided as a volunteer assistant up until it was time to decide how to go about the next chapter.
"When I finished I didn't really want to ask my parents for financial support," Bradley said. "I wasn't sure where I was going to stay. I was hoping to stay in America, but I was unsure if my visa would allow me to stay while I got situated."
Another Irish tennis player in the states, James McGee, helped Bradley get situated, providing some guidance back into practice and a few tournaments to get him started. After some strong performances and a better bill of health, Bradley took the summer to go to Ireland and get ready for his return.
Since January of 2018 Bradley has been on the move, accruing over 200 wins between singles and doubles play.
Speaking of numbers, in 2019 alone he tallied 77 different locations, traversing North America, going to Uganda and playing the Davis Cup in San Marino, Italy.
With so many trips, one might wonder how he is able to find lodging as he heads to new cities nearly every weekend.
"One time, I was in Rochester, N.Y., and I remember sitting there looking up Airbnb's that might be close," Bradley said. "Then, the tournament stringer was like, you can stay with me tonight. That worked out clutch one time and I have always just landed on my feet. I've noticed that."
Bradley owes this in part to his personality and always saying hello. In some instances, host families that he meets just days earlier end up supporting him at weekend tournaments, becoming people he keeps in touch with after playing.
The winding road of playing professional tennis has come to halt due to COVID-19 in March, but he's doing everything to make it work.
"Actually, before the lockdown I took a bunch of weights to the garage that I'm living in right now," Bradley said. "I've been doing a lot of that, running, reading, reaching out to people that need lessons and then talking to people back home."
For the whole interview, click here >> YouTube Interview
A native of Ireland, Bradley came to Jacksonville in 2014 and played two seasons of tennis for the Ospreys, helping contribute to a 2016 ASUN Title. Bradley's tennis journey began roughly a decade earlier when he picked up a tennis racquet in his early teens for the first time in his life.
It's taken him to North Florida, all across North America and even Uganda. Today we take an inside look at the path and how he has adjusted his life during the lockdown.
Â
"What is this guy doing?! He could be pulling teeth for a decent wage and now he is sleeping on couches and bumming around!"
Pulling teeth as in dentistry -- that could have been the path that Julian Bradley took when he was at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, studying dentistry.
"At the same time I was playing tons of tennis," Bradley said. "I nearly got kicked out of dentistry school because I wasn't turning up for lectures, was just playing tennis and it was quite strict. I had a few good results [in tennis tournaments], and I thought, wow, the doors are open and I could play in America."
For those that know Bradley, the rest is history. The doors were open, but it wasn't without a grind. In fact, rewind just a few years earlier and Bradley hadn't even picked up a racquet yet, having played gaelic football and hurling.
"I was just like anyone out there in a public park," Bradley said. "At 14 or 15 there was a group lesson offered each week, but it was really more like babysitting in a way. I remember when I was in boarding school there was a big sporting hall. Before study hall I would just hit against a wall and loved that freedom, hitting the ball and improving."
As custom for teens in Ireland, many take a transition year that sends them to another country for an immersion experience, to a job to learn a profession or just to work. Bradley traveled to France, sharpened his French but came back to his home country with a spark to pursue tennis.
"When I came back I really started playing a ton of tennis," Bradley said.
Everyday he took the hour and a half bus trip into Dublin and would spend countless hours competing.Â
"That's when I started to improve and thought, 'I would love to get better and play for the Davis Cup. I thought, wow, this is what I want to do," Bradley said.
Bradley began to play each weekend, adding tournament experience. Unfortunately, at the start of what would be his freshman year in the traditional collegiate path in the states, Bradley couldn't quite get the opportunity to play in the U.S., leading him to dental school.
Bradley started from scratch in reaching out to universities in the U.S., getting a big lift and some guidance from former NC State standout, Conor Taylor. Opportunities began to blossom at Notre Dame, NC State and North Florida before the Ospreys eventually won him over.
"When I took a visit to North Florida, I loved the place," Bradley said. "I thought the campus was unreal and the facilities and weather were amazing."
Then, the 21-year old incoming junior put things on hold in Dublin and went across the pond, coming to UNF at the start of the 2014 fall season.
At first, the stark change in climate really put a spin on the game for Bradley.
"It was eye opening," Bradley said. "I kind of thought I'd come over, work hard and start to do amazing … I come over here and I'm slapping the ball around and it's coming back. I had to build patience, it's so humid and I was nowhere near how fit I thought I was."
Bradley worked through the fall slate and got into a groove after getting his wind and feet underneath him by the time the spring season came around. The 2014-15 season was Bradley's first in the Navy and Gray, and it featured a slew of talented players. The Ospreys went 17-7 and 5-1 in ASUN play, coming up just shy of the conference title as the runner up.
Next year, they made it happen, winning UNF's first ASUN men's tennis title.
The next chapter of Bradley's tennis journey was about to begin as well. Initially he intended on staying on as a member during the fall campaign, although a wrist injury kept him from competing. While completing his degree, Bradley aided as a volunteer assistant up until it was time to decide how to go about the next chapter.
"When I finished I didn't really want to ask my parents for financial support," Bradley said. "I wasn't sure where I was going to stay. I was hoping to stay in America, but I was unsure if my visa would allow me to stay while I got situated."
Another Irish tennis player in the states, James McGee, helped Bradley get situated, providing some guidance back into practice and a few tournaments to get him started. After some strong performances and a better bill of health, Bradley took the summer to go to Ireland and get ready for his return.
Since January of 2018 Bradley has been on the move, accruing over 200 wins between singles and doubles play.
Speaking of numbers, in 2019 alone he tallied 77 different locations, traversing North America, going to Uganda and playing the Davis Cup in San Marino, Italy.
With so many trips, one might wonder how he is able to find lodging as he heads to new cities nearly every weekend.
"One time, I was in Rochester, N.Y., and I remember sitting there looking up Airbnb's that might be close," Bradley said. "Then, the tournament stringer was like, you can stay with me tonight. That worked out clutch one time and I have always just landed on my feet. I've noticed that."
Bradley owes this in part to his personality and always saying hello. In some instances, host families that he meets just days earlier end up supporting him at weekend tournaments, becoming people he keeps in touch with after playing.
The winding road of playing professional tennis has come to halt due to COVID-19 in March, but he's doing everything to make it work.
"Actually, before the lockdown I took a bunch of weights to the garage that I'm living in right now," Bradley said. "I've been doing a lot of that, running, reading, reaching out to people that need lessons and then talking to people back home."
For the whole interview, click here >> YouTube Interview
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