In his first game with the Commodores, Tex was forced to wear civilian shoes until Vanderbilt received its order for cleats big enough to fit his feet.[2] Vanderbilt later played a game against Texas at the Texas State Fair. Vandy would upset the powerful Longhorns eleven 20 to 0. The first score came on a third down at some point near the middle of the second quarter. Texas' Ivan Robertson, with the Commodores' Tom Ryan and Bradford running after him, threw a pass not near a single Longhorn; which was intercepted by Vanderbilt's captain Pink Wade. Wade returned the interception for 65 yards and the touchdown.[3]
To the woe of Commodore fans, on October 10, 1923, Bradford was ruled ineligible on grounds of having already played four years of college athletics.[7] His loss was lamented so near the eve of the Michigan game, for his line work against them was "materially responsible" for the 0 to 0 tie the year before.[7][4]
References
^Dates confirmed via U.S. Social Security Death Index Number: xxx-xx-5920; Issue State: Tennessee; Issue Date: Before 1951; and Texas Death Index, 1903-2000 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006