POWERGRAMS

24 Barry Bozeman's buddies got a kick out of his little boy boasting he would one day play football for the Crimson Tide. Like many kids playing in their backyard, Bradley pictured himself excelling in an Alabama jersey. By the sixth grade, he was 6-foot, 260 pounds, eventually starting for Roanoke's Handley High School and accepting a college scholarship offer from Tuscaloosa. He was selected captain on the 2018 national championship team, then played center four years for the Baltimore Ravens and last season for the Carolina Panthers. "From the time I started playing football, I told my dad, 'I'm going to play for Bama," Bradley said. "I think I kind of shocked some of my dad's friends. But my parents put me in the situation to accomplish my dreams." Bozeman met Alabama basketball center Nikki Hegstetter at the Capstone, proposed to her aer the Tide beat Georgia 26-23 in overtime of the College Football Playoff championship game, and this year on Jan. 18 their son Brody Grant was born. ey built a house in Nashville last year as a central location between their parents' homes. In March, Bradley signed a three-year extension with the Panthers for $18 million, doubling his previous salary rate. e Bozemans said they were bullied early in life because of their size. Nikki was 5-foot-10 in the fih grade. Bradley had reading difficulties as a youngster, which he said also brought out the bullies. When the couple were in their last two years of college, they learned of a girl experiencing bullying and decided to offer her support. It would soon lead to the Bradley and Nikki Bozeman Foundation, which propelled him to back-to-back nominations as the Ravens' NFL Man of the Year. Bradley had a fear of public speaking but overcame it through joining Nikki in hundreds of anti-bullying presentations. ey were driving an RV from Maryland to California and back, speaking at schools along the journey, when the pandemic cut the tour short in 2020. e Bozemans learned that school closings le many children hungry, without their usual free school meals. ey bought and packaged 25-pound gi boxes of milk, eggs, fresh produce, spaghetti, peanut butter and other food that was distributed weekly. ey hosted an annual anksgiving Food Drive, distributing turkeys and trimmings to hundreds of families. Upbringing, Roanoke roots behind NFL standout's success PHOTOS COURTESY BOZEMAN FOUNDATION

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