By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

As a walk-on football player at William & Mary, Tim Brady '97 was guaranteed nothing more than an opportunity. His biggest contribution in four years came on the scout team, which he eventually led.

There was also the academic side, never an easy opponent at this Public Ivy. Time demands were constant and excuses — "I had a paper due, Coach" or "I was too sore from practice, Professor" — were not an option.

These days, as a colonel in the United States Marine Corps, the sacrifices made and consequences faced are more serious. Yet looking back, Brady believes his overall experience at William & Mary further developed his discipline and shaped him as a leader.

"I'm not the smartest tactician, and although I'm in pretty good shape these days, I'm not the fastest or strongest," he says. "But I try to develop my leadership skills in ways that provide me an opportunity to serve. That started to develop in my later years at William & Mary when I was on the scout team.

"But as you progress up the ranks, you're not getting paid for your physical attributes as much as for your intellectual capacity. That developed from the academic rigors at William & Mary and being able to balance being a student and an athlete."

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, and raised mostly in Northern Virginia, Brady was a linebacker at William & Mary from 1993 to 1996. In terms of getting on the field, his timing couldn't have been worse. The Tribe's defenses in '94, '95 and '96 remain among the top 10 by statistics in program history. And his position was stacked.

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