Tom Bradley hasn’t been seen much around Beaver Stadium since leaving the Penn State football program more than a decade ago, but that appears to be changing this season.
The former Penn State player and longtime coach known as “Scrap” will participate in a ceremonial coin toss before the Nittany Lions’ season opener on Saturday against West Virginia. Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft revealed the news this past weekend during the syndicated TV show “Nittany Game Week,” which Bradley co-hosts with Jay Paterno and Todd Sadowski.
“Scrap and I had connected and talked and I said, ‘Man, why aren’t you coming back?’” Kraft said. “Scrap is Penn State. I consider Scrap a really good friend, and I’m happy that I asked him and James [Franklin] and the football program wanted him to do the coin toss for West Virginia. I’m excited for him. I actually get goosebumps thinking about him walking out.”
“Me too,” Bradley chimed in.
After lettering for the Nittany Lions in the late 1970s, Bradley joined the team as a graduate assistant in 1979 and quickly caught on as an assistant coach a year later. Beginning in 2000, he was Penn State’s defensive coordinator, mentoring a bevy of All-Americans and future NFL players.
Bradley was named interim head coach in November 2011 following Joe Paterno’s firing. His one victory as head coach came at Ohio State — still the last time the Nittany Lions have won in Columbus.
He went on to stints as associate head coach at West Virginia, defensive coordinator at UCLA and defensive backs coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His last known appearance at Beaver Stadium was in 2014, when he received the Community Hero Award at the annual Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run/Walk for Special Olympics Pennsylvania.
The 2023 season-opener isn’t the only time Bradley will be on hand at Beaver Stadium. He’ll join longtime equipment manager Brad “Spider” Caldwell to headline a State College Quarterback Club watch party in the Letterman’s Lounge for the Nittany Lions’ Sept. 16 game at Illinois, as previously reported by StateCollege.com columnist Mike Poorman.
And Kraft seemed to suggest Bradley’s renewed involvement with the program was just beginning.
“Scrap’s doing more and more with us,” Kraft said. “I’m happy to be working with Scrap and I’m excited he’s coming back to Happy Valley. It’s his home. Like I say, we’re all in this together. We’re a big family. He’s going to be around. People are going to get to see him and I think it’s great for everybody. I love Scrap. Everybody’s really excited around here and I know our alums are fired up as well.”
