Class of 2018 alumnus TaRiq Bracy played multiple sports — football, basketball, and baseball — essentially year-round from middle school through his junior year, Bracy said in a Zoom interview. In his senior year of high school, since he received interest to play football for Division I schools, he chose to focus solely on football, he said. Recently, the former MHS football player declared for the National Football League (NFL) Draft, Bracy said.
Bracy’s football career began with the Milpitas Knights when he was 8 years old, he said.
“I just started playing it and just kind of fell in love with it,” Bracy said. “It’s really the ultimate team game. You need everybody that is on that field; you need them to pull their own weight.”
After playing for the junior varsity football team his freshman year, Bracy moved up to the varsity team for his remaining three years to play a variety of positions, including running back and cornerback, he said. Bracy received 11 offers, but eventually chose to commit to the University of Notre Dame, he added.
“It was the biggest offer coming out of high school, and I always dreamed of playing at a big Power Five school and being on TV,” Bracy said. “It felt like the right decision and like something that could possibly change my life. Honestly, just having a great education, being able to play football at a very prestigious school can give me the most opportunity to be recognized and seen.”
At the University of Notre Dame, Bracy began playing right away as a freshman, and mainly played cornerback, slot corner, and nickelback, he said. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bracy became a five-year player for the school, he added.
“When COVID hit in 2020, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) granted everybody who was in college at that time — because a lot of schools were withdrawing from their seasons and not playing a season just due to COVID — they granted every player an extra year of eligibility to play,” Bracy said.
Bracy’s college athletic career came with challenges, such as being benched during his junior year, he said. The experience was new for him, but it helped him grow as a person and an athlete, Bracy added. However, his time at the University of Notre Dame still came with plenty of high points, he said.
“My sophomore year game against Georgia was a really high point, playing against Iowa State, and then my senior year when I got the game ball against USC, and then beating Clemson my last year as well,” Bracy said. “Having that competition and that chance to play, and being able to play well, it just kind of makes you feel good about yourself, like that you belong at schools like that, you belong to be able to play at the next level.”
Pursuing a college or professional career can be a viable option for high school athletes who want to play at the next level, as long as they can work hard, collaborate with coaches, and learn from their mistakes, Bracy said. He was fortunate to receive an athletic scholarship that benefitted his educational career, but people should be cautious when committing to schools, Bracy added.
“Don’t ever go to a school because of the relationship with someone, go for the right fit,” Bracy said. “Figure out why you want to go to a school, not who’s at school or the name of the school.”
Currently, Bracy’s training for the NFL Draft takes up most of the day, but he tries to do some extra recovery or lifting after the main regimen to get an edge, Bracy said. Every week for two months, Bracy trained for most of the day six days a week in preparation for Pro Day — an event similar to the NFL Scouting Combine but for individual schools — on March 24, he said. Prior to Pro Day, Bracy was nervous, but overall excited to see what benefits his hard work could result in, he said.
“The NFL scouts, they’ll measure you just by the numbers that you put up and all those things, but they can’t measure someone’s will and someone’s heart,” Bracy said. “I know that this is something I really want, and, whichever route I have to take, I’m willing to do that — put the most work in and be the most hardworking person and achieve that.”
MHS head football coach Kelly King said that Bracy was an outstanding player with a will to compete and who motivated others through his play, leading the MHS football team to their first state title, King said.
“To play in the NFL, it’s focus, and it’s a little bit of luck, and getting in the right place, and staying after it — I think he’s got all those tools,” King said. “I’m really excited for him, excited for draft day, and seeing where he’s going to end up.”
Bracy also understood the importance of academics to his athletic career early on, Bracy’s former AVID teacher, social studies teacher Frank Castro said.
“I think he understood early on that he was a special athlete and he had a chance to go to a really good school,” Castro said. “It’s hard to be a Division I athlete — just the sacrifices you have to make. The fact that he did it at one of the best football institutions in the country, says a lot about him as a person.”
