Shanna Rose I WV Sports
After playing just five games last year, West Virginia University wide receiver Jaden Bray’s season was cut short due to injury. Now, with new head coach Rich Rodriguez in charge, the senior is ready to make the most of his final year.
For the Mountaineers’ opening game, Bray is listed as a starting wide receiver and is excited to hit the field.
“It kind of it doesn’t really hit me until like I’m running out of the tunnel for real and seeing all the fans in the stadium,” Bray said. “I’m just more excited about anything, especially with everything that’s been happening this year and stuff like that. So I’m just excited to see how we’re going to play and stuff like that. And yeah, I’m not really nervous or anything like that.”
Rodriguez’s offense is different from what 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide out has played in before but he has bought in.
“Just how he coaches and what type of energy he brings into a football team,” Bray said. “Just that Rich Rod mindset of just outworking anybody and not getting beat, whether that be to the ball or like finishing a block and stuff like that. Just working hard. I’ll just say, since he’s been here, he’s instilled, I feel like in me and in all the other players that you got to earn it. You got to earn success and it’s not just given to you. So I would say those are the main things.”
Staying on the field is Bray’s main focus after last year.
“Just more like recovery, taking care of your body, eating well,” he said on what healthy skills he has learned. “On and off the field, just when you go home, just still like living in those habits, even though like when you’re not at the facility. So yeah, I would just say like that. Just like body maintenance and stuff like that are my main big things I’ve been trying to do.”
The Norman, Oklahoma native credits strength coach Mike Joseph for a big role in injury prevention.
“A lot of like injury prevention stuff that you can do in the weight room and stuff like that,” Bray said. “So just trying to get more of that and just being more of a pro.”
However, that is nothing new for Bray.
“I was doing it before, but I’ll just say just keep doing it,” he said. “Like, more doesn’t hurt. Like, working more doesn’t hurt being more injury resilient.”
With the possibility of multiple quarterbacks playing this season, Bray feels prepared no matter which one is on the field.
“We’ve been preparing for it the whole spring and fall camp,” he said. “Coaching staff does a good job of rotating in groups. Guys will go with the ones, guys will go with the twos, stuff like that. So I’ve got pretty good experience with all the quarterbacks, and it doesn’t really worry me who’s going to go in because we all built a pretty good connection throughout the whole camps.”
Throughout camp team chemistry has been strong.
“I feel like chemistry is real high,” Bray added.” Especially like we’ve been getting together, especially like our lift groups have been a little bit different. I’ve been lifting with a lot of the defensive guys and stuff like that. So still getting closer with those guys. It can always get better, but it’s been real great. All the guys are pretty bought in, all excited for this Saturday, especially like in the locker rooms. A lot of morale is up.”
While sidelined Bray worked on keeping a positive outlook on life and football.
“I still have to be like up at the facility,” he said. “So I don’t wanna be a culture vulture and just be like all sad and down and bringing like other people down just because what I’m going through. Because some people they still got to practice and I know some days like they don’t wanna practice either. And then if I like I come in there and I’m like, oh man, y’all guys got to do this. I just can’t really do that ’cause they still have a job to get done at the end of the day. So just being high energy. Of course it sucks not being able to play, but there’s also other things you can be grateful for. Football is only a little bit of your life, so try not to let that overwhelm you.”
Through the ups and downs, the Norman High School alum has leaned on his family for support.
“My mom and my dad, my sisters, stuff like that (is who I lean on),” Bray said. “They were always big on me, especially I’m the baby in the family. So, anything that goes down, they kind of like drop everything for me in a sense. So, when I was injured and stuff like that, both my mom and my dad had came from Oklahoma and stayed with me for a good amount of time just to make sure that I was doing okay.”
Bray now turns the page to his final season in Morgantown, ready to contribute to Rodriguez’s team and determined to finish his career on a high note.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
