Riverdale football's Braden Graham wins Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year
Winning the Gatorade Tennessee Football Player of the Year is something that has been a goal for Riverdale's Braden Graham long before he stepped on a high school football field.
It became a reality Wednesday when the senior quarterback won the award recognizing the state's best player.
"It's a blessing," Graham told The Daily News Journal. "It's a blessing to be able to step on the field with such great talent around me. This is an award I've been dreaming about for a long time. I set a list when I was younger, and I wanted to win Gatorade Player of the Year. I knew it would take a lot. With so many other great players in the state, man, this is an honor."
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior quarterback completed 255-of-350 passes for 3,492 yards, 42 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season while leading Riverdale to a 10-3 record, 6A state quarterfinals berth and Region 3-6A championship.
The DNJ's all-area player of the year was the MVP of Region 3-6A and was a finalist for the Tennessee Titans Class 6A Mr. Football award, finishing as a runner-up to Bradley Central's Boo Carter, now an early enrollee at Tennessee.
"Braden is not only a great football player, but he's also a great teammate," said coach Will Kriesky in a news release. "He really grew throughout the offseason and became the undisputed leader of our team. Braden has a strong work ethic, putting in numerous hours of extra work with his teammates to develop them into a strong team."
Graham started the past two seasons for Riverdale after transferring from Lipscomb Academy. He battled injuries and struggled at times as a junior, but took off during his senior season, including a 340-yard, six-touchdown game in a 49-7 win over Cane Ridge.
"It shows all the hard work and long hours I put in over the season, when people weren't believing in me and turning their backs on me," Graham said. "Family never turned their backs on me, and coach (Will Kriesky) and (offensive coordinator Justin) Barnes believed in me. My receivers and the rest of my teammates believed in me."
A three-star prospect, Graham has yet to commit or sign with a college. He has not divulged recent recruiting activity, but told the DNJ he is still considering choosing a school and early enrolling by mid-January, which would prompt a decision within the next week or so.
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"I've been talking to a lot of coaches and things are going well," said Graham, who will graduate high school in December. "I've been under the table with everything, not really telling people where I'm going. I'm just trying to wait it out and see where I'm at. I'll be coming to a decision soon.
"There's a few schools asking me to early enroll, and I'm interested in that. But I'll decide in the next few days if I'm going to do that or wait (to sign) until February."
Graham is the second consecutive Rutherford County player to win the award, following Smyrna's Arion Carter, now a linebacker at Tennessee, who won a year ago. He will compete with winners from the other 50 states and the District of Columbia for the national player of the year award.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Riverdale football's Braden Graham wins Gatorade Player of the Year
