Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford opts for surgery; intends to enter 2010 NFL Draft

Oklahoma junior quarterback Sam Bradford announced today that he will have season-ending surgery.

He suffered a sprained right AC joint against Brigham Young and sat out two games. He sat out two games before coming back to help the Sooners beat Baylor. Against Texas on Oct. 17, he reinjured the shoulder.

If his rehabilitation goes as planned, Bradford said he’ll enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

Bradford’s surgery will be performed by renowned sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

“I dreamed about coming to Oklahoma my whole life,” Bradford said in a release. “That’s the reason I came back for this season. And I came back to play, not sit on the bench. That’s the reason I tried to play after the injury. I’m very disappointed that it didn’t work out differently.”

On the season, Bradford had 562 yards passing with two touchdowns. He was completing a career-low 56.5 percent of his passes.

Bradford won the 2008 Heisman Trophy. For his career, Bradford completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 8,403 yards and 88 touchdowns. He started 30 games.

Entering this season, Bradford was the most highly regarded quarterback prospect in the nation. He earned high grades with his, accuracy easy throwing motion and strong enough arm. The belief among talent evaluators is that Bradford needed to get stronger to handle the rigors of NFL football.

While Bradford came into the season a few pounds larger, most starting NFL quarterback weigh 230 pounds or more. Oklahoma lists Bradford at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds.