Bradford had a big reason to make catch

Mark Bradford grew up on 101st Street, went to Fremont High, walked past the Los Angeles Coliseum almost every day. Bradford’s father, also Mark, had been a basketball player but he would throw passes to his talented son, pass and catch. The father wanted his football-playing youngster to attend USC and play for national champions, that’s what father told son.

But Bradford went to Stanford.

“A kid like me, from the city, when I had a chance to go to Stanford and get that education, I had to take it,” Bradford said Saturday in a tunnel at the Coliseum, where he had scored the winning touchdown in one of the biggest football upsets ever.

Stanford beat USC, 24-23, when Bradford stretched full out and caught the ball in the end zone. With 49 seconds left, with his team a 41-point underdog but trailing USC by only six points, Bradford caught the 10-yard pass from Tavita Pritchard.

“In my head all I heard was my dad’s voice,” Bradford said. “He always told me that if I wanted to be a wide receiver, I had to hold on to the ball.”

It will be two weeks ago Monday that Bradford became, as he said, “an orphan.” His 48-year-old father dropped dead. Bradford doesn’t know why. “We think it was a heart attack but it’s not sure yet,” Bradford said. “I lost my mom several years ago. She was young too.”

His dad worked as a landscaper, Bradford said. “He was always willing to get his hands dirty.”

Bradford spent a week in Los Angeles attending a funeral, mourning for his father, playing over and over the best moments of his past and trying to think about what he needed to accomplish with his future.

“I knew one thing,” Bradford said. “I knew I was dedicating the USC game to my dad. He would have been front and center tonight. He would have been in the first row yelling at me to catch the ball.”

Bradford walked into the locker room after the game protected by another Cardinal receiver, Richard Sherman. Sherman is also a Los Angeles city kid, a graduate of Compton Dominguez High. Walking behind Bradford was Evan Moore, a senior from Brea Olinda High. “The three of us grew up together,” Bradford said. “They are my biggest family now.”

The three combined to catch nine of the 11 passes Pritchard completed. Bradford had five of the catches for 87 yards and that one, magnificent touchdown.

“I had one-on-one coverage,” Bradford said. “I had to make the catch. I had dedicated this game to my dad. If you dedicate a game you have to win it, right?”

Bradford stood under a white tent; hands clasped behind his back and gave credit to everyone but himself.

He gave it to his quarterback, Pritchard, a sophomore who became a starter only after T.C. Ostrander suffered a seizure last week. Bradford listened quietly as Pritchard recounted how he called his own play because of the Coliseum noise when it was fourth and 20, ball on the USC 29, less than a minute to go. The play worked. Sherman caught the ball and held on when he was tackled hard in the chest.

Bradford gave credit to his coach, Jim Harbaugh. “Coach always believed we could win this game,” Bradford said.

He gave it to his defense. “They held us together all game,” Bradford said.

But no one deserved this win more than the man who missed the game. “I just kept remembering his words,” Bradford said. “You’re a receiver. You’ve got to catch the ball.”

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diane.pucin@latimes.com