Bradwell Institute football player Quonte Haggray did what he could to help the Tiger football team this year. He played offense, defense, special teams and was in nearly every snap of every game.
His performance on the field and his leadership abilities off the field is what the Tigers’ coaching staff said pushed him to the front and earned him the Coastal Courier Player of the Year award for BI.
“He was an invaluable player for us because he played in all three phases of the game,” Tiger coach Jim Walsh said. “There were times where we were unable to spell him and he is the kind of person you are looking for to give that award to. He had to go in just about every play. I think he is very deserving of the award, and we are definitely proud of him and what he has done for us here at Bradwell.”
Haggray started playing football at the age of 6 with the recreation department in Pooler.
“I always had to play a class above my age group because I was always bigger than the other kids,” Haggray said.
Off the field, Haggray worked hard to build his strength and improve his speed. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds, can bench press 225 pounds, squats 335 pounds and cleans 225.
As a defensive end he had 44 solo tackles and 29 assists, and eight tackles for loss. He had two QB hurries, broke up one pass and blocked a kick.
“It feels good that I was able to help my team out,” Haggray said. “I think I excelled more on defense because I had more playing time on defense.”
Haggray is looking to play at the next level and prefers to be on defense, but doesn’t mind being a running back if needed.
Haggray recently received a $1,000 grant from NCSA Athletic Recruiting and the National Football League Players Association. The grant is given to select student athletes throughout the country in all sports. The students qualify based on leadership in their community, academic achievement, athletics and a required essay.
“With the grant they are going to help me get my name out there so I might be able to go and play football in college,” Haggray said. “I’ve been doing track conditioning and running and pushups on my own just trying to stay fit for the next level.”
“Quonte was a steady player for us on defense and started every game on defense,” Tiger defensive coordinator Jeff Miller said. “He played a lot of snaps and the only time he came off the defense is when he was tagged to play some offense. He was one of our true two-way players as well as playing on special teams... In his junior year he was nothing but an offensive player. His sophomore year was nothing but defense but this season he played in all aspects of the game.”