FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS BRADLEY TAKES SERPENTINE PATH TO EMERGE AS WEAPON FOR SOONERS.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

MIAMI - When Mark Bradley slips into his No. 1 Oklahoma jersey for the final time Tuesday night and tries to win a national championship in the Orange Bowl, he'll be following in the footsteps of his father 20 years ago.

``It's a storybook ending,'' said Danny Bradley, a former Oklahoma quarterback who will be sitting in the stands at Pro Player Stadium.

The rest of his son's story has hardly followed the script. Not recruited by Oklahoma - or anyone else - Bradley played two seasons at hometown Arkansas-Pine Bluff before tearing his ACL. He transferred to Oklahoma as a walk-on, spent a year as a scout-team quarterback, played cornerback the next spring, and finally moved to receiver the following fall.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops says Bradley is the best athlete on the team, could start at quarterback for half of the teams in the country and is the Sooners' best special-teams player - no small feat considering Antonio Perkins has returned an NCAA-record eight punts for touchdowns in his career.

Bradley is so valuable, he was put on scholarship - in August.

``I'm loving it now,'' Bradley said. ``Things happen for a reason, and I'm just here enjoying my fruits right now.''

Bradley's tale is proof that even in an age when more attention is paid to recruiting than ever before, it's possible to fall through the cracks - even with family connections.

Bradley was not only an all-state quarterback at Pine Bluff High, he high jumped 7 feet, 4 inches - second-best in the nation - and set state-meet records in the long jump and triple jump.

His father spoke with Oklahoma coaches about him, but they weren't interested. Neither was Arkansas. Texas coach Mack Brown, Danny Bradley's offensive coordinator in college, said Mark could walk on.

Danny, who lives in Dallas, said he'd pay the tuition if Mark wanted to walk on at Oklahoma or Texas. Mark said he wanted to be near his mother.

``I didn't take the ACT until right before signing day,'' Mark said. ``It was my decision, and staying at home was important.''

That changed when Bradley tore knee ligaments as a sophomore. He wasn't happy with the rehabilitation program at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a Division I-AA school, and asked his dad if his offer to pay for school was still good.

``I tried to pull him out as a freshman, but mothers win those battles sometime,'' said Danny Bradley, who had a brief NFL career as a receiver for the Rams and Lions. ``I told him this is no place for a guy who desired for a NFL career. But, as any father, I was supportive of his idea. At that point, if he was going to leave, it was going to have to be his idea, not mine.''

Danny called Merv Johnson, the Sooners' director of football operations who had been an assistant under Barry Switzer, and asked if the coaches would give his son another look. They did, inviting him to walk on.

After rehabbing his knee, Bradley, who is 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, spent his redshirt season as the scout-team quarterback.

``Our defense had a harder time with Mark than they did with Seneca Wallace,'' said Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables of the former Iowa State quarterback now in the NFL.

``He's a big, strong kid who can jump and run. You don't get to coach kids like that very often. And then to have him fall from the sky like that - it's Sooner magic.''

So is the football when it's in Bradley's hands. He scored the first time he ran with the ball on a reverse. He scored the first time he ran back a kick. The first pass he threw ended up for a touchdown. He also ran for a first down as the holder on a fake field-goal attempt.

Such a diverse weapon requires extra attention for a defense.

``Absolutely,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``He can do everything, so we've had to do some things to make sure we know where he is and position ourselves so he can't get us with the special stuff.''

Bradley, who is on every special team, has become more involved as a receiver as the season has progressed. He made 14 of his 21 receptions in the past five games, averaging 23.2 yards per catch. He caught three touchdown passes against Oklahoma State and turned a crossing route into a 39-yard touchdown with 6:39 left for the winning score in a 42-35 triumph over Texas A&M.

``He allows you to take the top off the coverage,'' said Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator Chuck Long, a former NFL quarterback. ``Because of his speed, those safeties have to stay deep, which opens up underneath. He also allows you to do some things in tricks, as far as throwing it, running reverses. He throws the ball as good as any quarterback we have.''

Bradley's late surge means his name likely will be called on the first day of the NFL draft.

Bradley gets in Stoops' ear about throwing the ball, but ask him his favorite position, and he has a ready answer.

``Wherever they need me,'' he said. ``It's just a dream to be out here with these guys who I've watched play on television.''

It's been similarly dreamy following in his father's footsteps this week. In the 1985 Orange Bowl, No. 2-ranked Sooners were hoping a convincing victory over Washington would vault them over undefeated but untested BYU. Oklahoma lost, 28-17.

The Bradleys have talked about what it was like then, a father happy to share memories and a son eager to hear them.

``It's kind of cool that it's the same situation, 20 years apart,'' Mark Bradley said. ``Hopefully, we can get a victory.''

Meanwhile, Danny Bradley will know exactly what his son is feeling like Tuesday night. He'll be less nervous than proud.

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Photo:

Mark Bradley signals that he believes Oklahoma is No. 1 after catching three touchdown passes in the Sooners' victory Oct. 30 at Oklahoma State.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images