CHARLIE BRADSHAW Pro Bowl player, Dallas-area lawyer: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice

Dallas Morning News, The (TX) - Saturday, January 26, 2002

Deceased Name: CHARLIE BRADSHAW Pro Bowl player, Dallas-area lawyer

Charlie Bradshaw, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who missed only one game in 11 National Football League seasons before becoming a successful Dallas-area lawyer, died Wednesday of complications from cancer. He was 65.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at The Heights Baptist Church, 201 Renner Road in Richardson.

The Center, Texas, native played at Baylor for coach Sam Boyd from 1956 to 1957. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound offensive tackle was drafted in the eighth round by the Los Angeles Rams.

Mr. Bradshaw played for the Rams (1958-60), Pittsburgh Steelers (1961-66) and Detroit Lions (1967-68), all while finishing a law degree at Baylor.

Mr. Bradshaw excelled during his time with the Steelers and was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1964 and 1965.

His commanding presence and smart mind helped Mr. Bradshaw become one of the first presidents of the NFL Players Association.

"He's one of the toughest humans I've ever met in my life," said Arlen "Spider" Bynum, who attended Baylor law school with Mr. Bradshaw and later opened a private practice with him. "There's a bunch of his friends that I know would have traded places with him, because he's that good of a guy."

After playing two years with the Lions, Mr. Bradshaw retired to begin a law practice in Houston. Baylor athletic officials honored his professional success and personal achievement in 1973 when he was elected to the Baylor Athletic Hall of Fame.

By 1975, Mr. Bradshaw, who specialized in insurance litigation, had moved to Dallas and began working with Mr. Bynum. The two practiced law together for five years, then Mr. Bradshaw went into private practice.