By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Western Alamance alum Bradyn Oakley is taking another venture, this time in pursuit of professional football.
He signed to play in Arizona for the Tucson Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League.
“It’s a professional league,” Oakley said. “Kind of a lifelong dream come true and then see what kind of comes from it.”
He’s a former college standout at Davidson. He used an extra season of eligibility in 2023 with Northern State in South Dakota.
So after staying within the state through four years of college, he has ventured out.
“All over the U.S., doing a world tour,” Oakley said. “I look forward to going out there. I’ve been working out and getting myself ready for it.”
He’ll likely play as a running back or receiver. He was Western’s quarterback in high school.
Oakley said former Western athlete B.J. Bunn, who carved out a career of several seasons in arena football, helped him find this latest opportunity.
Recently, he worked for a company contracted through the new Toyota Battery factory in Liberty. At a temporary site in Greensboro, he instructed on preparing workers.
“We did strength and conditioning,” he said. “We worked out people before they would go to the plant.”
Oakley turned 24 last week shortly before reporting to Arizona. The Sugar Skulls begin their season March 30 against the Arizona Rattlers.
“It’s a quick turnaround,” Oakley said. “We have about two weeks of camp and we’re ready to go.”
