The First Morris Bradshaw Scholarship Goes to Yale Weaver, and the Story Comes Full Circle
Sep 16, 2026
This spring, Edwardsville High School and the Edwardsville Community Foundation awarded the inaugural Morris Bradshaw Scholarship, and its first recipient came with a backstory nobody could have scripted.
Each year the scholarship goes to a graduating EHS senior who reflects what Morris brought to the game: excellence in competition and genuine humanity off the field.
The first recipient is Yale Weaver, Class of 2026, honor student and Tiger football player who was recognized for his leadership, work ethic, academic excellence, and character. He is a first year engineering major at Missouri S & T.
Here's where the story gets good.
On November 7, 1969, Morris and his fellow seniors played their final high school game at Roxana and won it 33-6. On the other side of the ball was a sophomore linebacker named Lonnie Weaver, Yale's late grandfather. According to Yale's dad, Joe, Lonnie "played a lot" that night, so it's a safe bet he and Morris crossed paths more than once.
Fifty-six years later, that Roxana linebacker's grandson became the first to receive a scholarship bearing Morris's name.
In May, a group of Morris' old friends and members of the Bradshaw family attended the scholarship and awards recognition at Edwardsville High. The next night, those friends and family who helped build the scholarship gathered for dinner, joined by EHS head football coach Kelsey Pickering. It was an evening to celebrate Yale and to remember "Brad," as his Edwardsville buddies still call him.
Congratulations to Yale and to Joe, Valerie, and the whole Weaver family. As one of Morris's high school teammates put it, there couldn't have been a better recipient.
Once a Tiger, always a Tiger.
1976 Unsung Hero: Morris Bradshaw
Sep 15, 2026 at 09:00 AM
Paul Gutierrez
Raiders Columnist
Throughout the 2026 season, Raiders.com is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the team's Super Bowl XI Championship by highlighting unsung heroes from the 1976 team along with thrilling moments and untold stories of a campaign that will go down in history as among the greatest in the annals of professional football.
To hear the late Morris Bradshaw tell it, he was simply "along for the ride" when it came to the Raiders' run to Super Bowl XI and the 32-14 victory over the Vikings.
Thing is, the receiver and special teams ace, who was in his third NFL season in 1976, was more than that. Much more.
"He brought solidity, he was always there," Raiders Hall of Fame coach Tom Flores, who was then Bradshaw's position coach, told me.
"He played all the [special] teams. Top cover guy, Returned kicks. He could do it all. Those kinds of guys are indispensable."
And isn't that exactly the kind of under-the-radar, unsung hero that helped propel the Raiders to their first Lombardi Trophy some 50 years ago?
And then some. (Continued...)
Morris Bradshaw Scholarship Becomes Endowed, Securing a Lasting Legacy
(opens in a new tab)EDWARDSVILLE, IL - The Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) is proud to announce that the Morris Bradshaw Scholarship has officially become an endowed fund, ensuring that future Edwardsville High School student-athletes will be supported in Bradshaw’s name for years to come.
The scholarship honors the life and legacy of the late Morris Bradshaw, an Edwardsville High School Class of 1970 graduate, Ohio State University alumnus and nine-year National Football League member. Awarded annually to a senior member of the EHS football team, it recognizes students who exemplify the qualities Mr. Bradshaw was known for both on and off the field: athletic excellence, leadership, academic achievement, citizenship and integrity.
The scholarship was established to commemorate Mr. Bradshaw’s remarkable athletic career and the character that defined him throughout his life. An accomplished multi-sport athlete at EHS, Bradshaw went on to play collegiate football at Ohio State and enjoyed a successful professional career, including Super Bowl championships with the Oakland Raiders. Following his playing career, he continued his service to the game through a long tenure in the Raiders’ front office, where he led alumni relations and remained deeply connected to players and fans alike.
The endowment of the Morris Bradshaw Scholarship was made possible through the generosity of community members who wished to preserve his legacy by supporting Edwardsville student-athletes, as well as the Las Vegas Raiders and the Raider Booster Clubs, who have also given generously.
“This endowment reflects how deeply Morris Bradshaw impacted the people around him,” said ECF Executive Director Sara Berkbigler.
“The community’s support ensures that his values—hard work, humility and leadership—will continue to inspire generations of young people.”
The Morris Bradshaw Scholarship will be awarded annually through ECF’s scholarship program.
Contributions to the endowed fund remain welcome and will help sustain the scholarship in perpetuity.
To learn more about the ECF, visit EdwardsvilleCommunityFoundation.org
or contact
Executive Director Sara Berkbigler: (855) 646-3223
New Scholarship Announced in Honor of Morris Bradshaw
(opens in a new tab)Contact: Sara Berkbigler, Executive Director
(855) 464-3223
The Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) is pleased to announce a new scholarship to honor the late Morris Bradshaw, Edwardsville High School (EHS) Class of 1970, a graduate of Ohio State University and a 9-year veteran of the National Football League. This scholarship will recognize a senior EHS football team member who embodies Mr. Bradshaw's attributes, which include athletic accomplishment, leadership, academic achievement, citizenship, and integrity. The award will provide a $2,000 scholarship with its inaugural recipient to be chosen in the Spring of 2026.
“We want to honor a friend, teammate, and an accomplished professional who was a great athlete and competitor, yet he was an even better man. He was such a good guy: kind, caring, supportive, optimistic, insightful, and curious. Brad was a loving husband to Deb, EHS Class of 1968 (nee Paur) and a great dad and grandfather. He had a hearty laugh and could always find humor in any situation. He was a beautiful man in every way,” said Bob Preloger, EHS Class of 1970 and fund sponsor of the scholarship.
Raiders Tribute
"I was with them (Raiders) for 37 years (as player and executive) and I learned quite a bit from Al Davis, John Madden, and Tom Flores."
– Morris Bradshaw
Edwardsville Hall of Famer Morris Bradshaw passes away
Before enjoying a nine-year playing career and a near 29-year front office career in the NFL, Bradshaw was a multi-sport athlete at Edwardsville. He excelled in football and track.
In football, Bradshaw graduated from the program as the career leader in rushing yards with 1,845 yards.
In Bradshaw’s senior season for the Tigers, he rushed for a single-season program record 1,150 yards with an average of 5.9 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns. He also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and a punt for a touchdown in his senior season.
Following his senior season, Bradshaw was the third Edwardsville to earn Chicago Today All-State honors. He was also selected to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat’s All-East Side Dream Team and was named the paper’s High School Football Player of the Year after a vote by area coaches.
Lighting the Torch
"This is awesome and I’m truly honored. This isn’t something that happens every day."
– Morris Bradshaw
on being inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame
Bradshaw earns St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame honors
Being recognized for his football accomplishments on and off the field is nothing new for Morris Bradshaw, but he never takes the recognition for granted.
The latest honor for Bradshaw, a 1970 Edwardsville High School graduate who went to play for Ohio State and the Oakland Raiders and then spent three decades in the Raiders’ front office, came on Monday night. He was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame at the fifth Illinois Enshrinement Dinner at Gateway Classic Cars in O’Fallon.
“This is awesome and I’m truly honored. This isn’t something that happens every day,” Bradshaw said. “Tim Moore (president of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame) called me back in November to tell me I was inducted, and the original date was set for February, but we had a visit from one of the COVID variants (Omicron) and the dinner was postponed until May.
"I had a solid platform for the NFL and fortunately I went to a team, the Oakland Raiders, that did things a little differently."
– Morris Bradshaw
