Ed O'Bradovich
Encyclopedia
Edward O'Bradovich is a former American football
defensive end
in the NFL. Drafted by the Chicago Bears
in the seventh round (91st pick) of the 1962 NFL Draft
, he spent his entire ten-year career with the Bears. He attended Proviso East High School
in Maywood, Illinois
and the University of Illinois
.
Before joining the Bears, he played in the CFL
for the B.C. Lions and the Calgary Stampeders
.
He currently co-hosts the "Suburban Tire Post Game Show" after Bears games, alongside former Bear Doug Buffone
on WSCR
in Chicago
and lives in Palatine, IL.
In May 2009, O'Bradovich and Buffone left WSCR-AM and joined Chicago Sports Webio. However, in June 2009, the founder of Chicago Sports Webio was charged with operating a Ponzi scheme
, and the site was shut down. O'Bradovich and Buffone re-signed with the Score in late August 2009.
O'Bradovich played himself in the television movies Brian's Song
, starring James Caan as Brian Piccolo, and Coach of the Year, starring Robert Conrad
as former Chicago Bears
player Jim Brandon.
O'Bradovich began broadcasting Chicago Rush
Arena Football League
games for Comcast SportsNet and WGN in 2010.
O'Bradovich was one of those rare athletes that grew up in, went to college in, and enjoyed a long career in the same state. "OB" as he was known throughout his career grew up in Hillside, IL, attended the University of Illinois, and played his entire career for the Bears. Perhaps the singular memory of O'Bradovich was when he intercepted a short pass in the 1963 NFL Championship game and rumbled down the field on a key play to help the Bears to victory. Following his retirement, O'Bradovich has closely followed the Bears, giving both Dan Hampton and Mike Ditka's induction speech to the NFL Hall of Fame.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
in the NFL. Drafted by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round (91st pick) of the 1962 NFL Draft
1962 NFL Draft
The 1962 National Football League Draft was held on December 4, 1961.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF: Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
, he spent his entire ten-year career with the Bears. He attended Proviso East High School
Proviso East High School
Proviso East High School is a public secondary school in Maywood, Illinois which serves the educational needs of Maywood and three other villages within Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois: Broadview, Forest Park and Melrose Park. It is the original campus of Proviso Township High Schools...
in Maywood, Illinois
Maywood, Illinois
Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:...
and the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
Before joining the Bears, he played in the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for the B.C. Lions and the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
.
He currently co-hosts the "Suburban Tire Post Game Show" after Bears games, alongside former Bear Doug Buffone
Doug Buffone
Douglas John Buffone is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Buffone, the son of a coal miner , attended high school at Shannock Valley High School in Rural Valley, Pennsylvania.-College career:Buffone played...
on WSCR
WSCR
WSCR is a sports radio station in the Chicago, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by CBS Radio and transmits on 670 kHz on the AM dial. Its transmitter is located just off Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, which is a western suburb of Chicago. It is known as "The Score," and has been on...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and lives in Palatine, IL.
In May 2009, O'Bradovich and Buffone left WSCR-AM and joined Chicago Sports Webio. However, in June 2009, the founder of Chicago Sports Webio was charged with operating a Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
, and the site was shut down. O'Bradovich and Buffone re-signed with the Score in late August 2009.
O'Bradovich played himself in the television movies Brian's Song
Brian's Song
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale...
, starring James Caan as Brian Piccolo, and Coach of the Year, starring Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the 1965 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, in which he played the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West, and his portrayal of World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep...
as former Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
player Jim Brandon.
O'Bradovich began broadcasting Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
games for Comcast SportsNet and WGN in 2010.
O'Bradovich was one of those rare athletes that grew up in, went to college in, and enjoyed a long career in the same state. "OB" as he was known throughout his career grew up in Hillside, IL, attended the University of Illinois, and played his entire career for the Bears. Perhaps the singular memory of O'Bradovich was when he intercepted a short pass in the 1963 NFL Championship game and rumbled down the field on a key play to help the Bears to victory. Following his retirement, O'Bradovich has closely followed the Bears, giving both Dan Hampton and Mike Ditka's induction speech to the NFL Hall of Fame.