A Biography of Brady Freeman

Andrew Croft

Mast LuteLife Reporter

Brady Cooper Freeman, a junior football player at Pacific Lutheran University and biology major, died in an unexpected car crash outside of Brewster, Wash. as he was heading home to Tonasket, Wash. for the opening of fishing season Friday, April 26. He was 21 years old.

Freeman was everything you could ask for out of a student-athlete. He was courteous, respectful, kind to others, caring and cheerful.

“I will remember Brady as bright, kind, humble, dedicated, hardworking,” said one of Freeman’s biology professors, Tom Carlson.

On the field, Freeman was a battle-tested and trained warrior. With his six foot four inch, 240 pound frame, he was more than just a presence. Staring down defenses while on the offensive line, he struck pure fear into the heart of every defensive lineman in the Northwest Conference.

“He was a big man,” said teammate, and summer roommate, sophomore James Eide. “He looked like he was able to crush you.”
However, his physical presence was somehow outmatched by his work ethic.

“I worked out with him twice a day, five times a week over the summer,” said fellow offensive lineman, Kelly Totten, senior. “He pushed me harder and further then I have ever gone.”

During season, he had the same mind set. He always trained like he was playing in a game and never gave up on anything.

“One day Brady went to go work out and the weight room was closed,” Eide said. “He came home and immediately went into the back-yard. We had some bricks and an empty keg along with some broken couches in the back yard. Brady lay down with his back on the couch and started to bench press the keg.

“I was sitting in the living room playing video games and I looked out the window to witness this. I busted out laughing.”

That’s the kind of hard work and determination that Freeman demonstrated day-in and day-out. And it started to rub off on his teammates.

“He was very soft-spoken on the field,” Totten said. “But he didn’t have to say a lot; he led by example.”

Freeman brought this football work ethic into the classroom.

“Brady excelled in his studies,” said one of his chemistry professors, Neal Yakelis. “He absorbed everything that was taught to him.”

Yakelis, as well as many other of Freeman’s science professors saw Freeman working in the open labs doing extra work. His friends also saw him constantly studying. Some say he studied more than he needed to, but that never stopped him.

“I remember last Friday before he left, Brady turned in a take home test that wasn’t due till the following Monday,” said one of his biology professors, Mary Ellard-Ivey. “That just further illustrates how much of a dedicated, hard-worker he was.”

Not only was he a smart man, he was chivalrous with his brilliance. He constantly aided his fellow students on their school work.

“He was always helpful and courteous with people in the open labs,” Yakelis said.

While helping, he was always genuine.

“He was never condescending to other students,” Ellard-Ivey said. “He always offered to explain something if someone didn’t quite understand it.”

Though he was also that tremendous student, it seemed as if Freeman was never able to live without football. When he met with his professors, the conversations were never about science.

“I remember talking to Brady in the lab when he took Biology 161,” Carlson said. “Most of our conversations were about football.”

Most of Freeman’s lab partners experience the same thing.

“I was his lab partner during spring semester of my freshman year,” Eide said. “During labs, we talked about football all the time. It never seemed like we got anything done, but Brady was so smart that he always, somehow, finished the lab in time.”

Nearing the end of his junior year, Freeman was flirting with the idea of going to medical school. According to many of his professors, he was a shoe-in.

“I had imagined I would be writing a letter of recommendation for Brady Freeman in the next few months in support of his application to medical school,” Carlson said.

Survivors of Brady Freeman include his father Tim and his mother Rhea. Also, his older brother Tucker; who played football at Whitworth College, and his twin brother Boone; who was in the unexpected accident with Brady and survived. He plays football at University of Puget Sound.

Brady Freeman’s career at PLU is put into words by his football coach, Scott Westering.

“Brady Freeman was a big, strong, young man of few words and with a great smile. He worked extremely hard at everything he did in his life. His impact on out players and program, as well as the PLU community, will last forever. We loved Brady Freeman.”