Sam Bradford's Shoulder Healing on Schedule

Originally Published: Feb 3, 2010 7:44 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma – With the NFL Scouting Combine quickly approaching, OU head coach Bob Stoops addressed the progress of Sam Bradford’s rehabilitation Wednesday.

The Combine will begin Feb. 24 in Indianapolis, but Bradford likely will not attend. He is still recovering from a shoulder injury that cut his junior season short, but his rehab is going according to plan.

“I talked to him last week, and he was real excited about how he felt,” Stoops said. “He said it’s not had any setbacks. He said it feels, in his words, great.”

Bradford has started engaging in throwing drills, but still cannot withstand a full day of work.

“He’s throwing the football; I think he said that in that day he had thrown about 30 passes,” Stoops said. “He said it felt good, no problems, so he’s training away and rehabbing and feels great about the way it’s going.”

Skipping the NFL Combine is not new to OU players. Injured starters Malcolm Kelly and Reggie Smith both elected to hold a personal Pro Day two years ago, and Bradford is likely to follow the same path.

“I can’t say for him what his situation will be for the Combine,” Stoops said. “I would think that he’s going to wait and have a Pro Day [in Norman] and I’m sure everybody will be there, which will give him a little bit more time.”

Players can hold a Pro Day anytime before the NFL Draft in April, which would give Bradford more time to build his arm strength and look better for scouts. Preliminary reports have Bradford listed as a top-five recruit and either the best or second-best quarterback in the Draft.

Five other OU players have been invited to the Combine: tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Brody Eldridge, running back Chris Brown, cornerback Brian Jackson and offensive lineman Trent Williams.

So far, invitations have only been sent to outgoing seniors. Underclassmen will be invited later, which will likely include Bradford, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and cornerback Dominique Franks.