LSU students walking to classes during the 2001 spring semester may have seen LSU forward Brad Bridgewater carrying and dribbling his basketball throughout campus.
“That was a rough time for me,” said the fifth-year senior Bridgewater. “I was missing basketball, so I kept the ball with me. Anything I could do to stay involved with basketball.”
He tore his ACL practicing in the offseason and was unable to play.
The LSU basketball team struggled through much of the 2000-01 season, and that made it harder for Bridgewater to endure his injury. There were some games he did not attend due to the difficulty of sitting on the bench and not being able to play.
“The hardest time in my career was sitting on the bench and not being able to contribute at all,” Bridgewater said.
Forward Collis Temple III remembers Bridgewater recovering faster than predicted.
“Because his body is strong, he recovered quickly” Temple said. “I think he recovered in four and a half months, but they had said it would take six or seven.”
A quick recovery and return to the court was what Bridgewater wanted.
“I really worked hard,” he said. “I really wanted to get back out there. They said I had one of the fastest ACL recoveries they have seen.”
Bridgewater said the hardest part was keeping a positive state of mind through it all. He also said the injury helped him grow up.
“It was more mental than physical,” Bridgewater said. “It was all about my attitude. It really made me mature as a man and a player.”
He earned his undergraduate degree in general studies last summer and is now working on a graduate school degree. Bridgewater’s injury also motivated him to work hard in the classroom.
“I got hurt and realized basketball might not be promised to me,” he said. “That’s when I really started to get into my books and take it into my own hands. I set me up a little plan and got it done. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
This year Bridgewater has had to overcome a different obstacle. Before the season started there were two players predicted to play in front of him for his senior season.
“If you think about it, you had Shawnson Johnson at the time and Jaime Lloreda who were predicted to start in front of him,” said senior forward Ronald Dupree. “So he knew about coming off the bench before the season started, but he stayed positive and kept working.”
Bridgewater said he had a difficult time dealing with it at first, but he took some advice from his family to overcome his feelings about the situation.
“It was a hard transition at first,” he said. “My mom really helped me through it. She told me everything happens for a reason and everything works out. She told me to pray on it, and I did. I made it past that, and now I’m enjoying myself.”
Head coach John Brady said Bridgewater’s importance to the team did not dwindle with his playing time.
“His role has diminished in terms of playing time, but not in terms of what he means to the team,” Brady said. “He’s handled that with class and courage and for him to handle that and put the team before what he wants, speaks for what kind of a guy he is.”
Dupree said the time Bridgewater does play is important to their success.
“He comes in and gives us a lift,” Dupree said.
Bridgewater has an impact on the team regardless if he is playing. Players and coaches said his sense of humor gets the team through hard times and keeps basketball fun.
“Brad can make fun of anybody, even impersonate the coach,” Brady said. “He loves doing that, and he’s good at it. Brad has filled that role on our team, and it’s an important role because throughout the course of the season, you need someone to keep the team loose.”
Bridgewater said he does not go out of his way to be funny, and he uses it to make new friends.
“It’s just my personality,” he said. “I’ve always been the class clown. Collis thinks I should go professional with it, but I believe that if I can make someone smile, I can establish a friendship.”
His teammates said Brad has earned their respect for his work ethic and his ability to confront difficult situations along with his humor.
“He’s one of the guys I respect on the team more than anyone,” said junior guard Charlie Thompson. “He’s real well-rounded and a one of a kind guy.”