Vanderbilt’s Bradyn Jasper Redefining Limitless

Vanderbilt’s Bradyn Jasper Redefining Limitless

Limitless: /limitləs/ adjective 1. without end, limit, or boundary.

Vanderbilt is a university that is full of students from all over the world who are looking to make a difference. Bradyn Jasper is one of those students. He has crammed more into his time at Vanderbilt than most student-athletes do. Except for maybe Oren Burks. Jasper studied Neuroscience, while being on the Commodores Cheer team, as well as a walk-on for the football team. Perhaps having the word “limitless” surrounding him in the football complex was subliminal motivation to achieve and do more.

Cheer Champion

Hailing from Washington, Missouri, Jasper was taking parkour classes in high school when a buddy of his suggested that he use his athletic skills for cheerleading. Jasper ended up at Northwest Missouri State after high school, where he decided he would take his buddy’s advice and join the cheer team. Getting into athletics and getting a chance to hang out with girls was a win-win.

“I was at Northwest Missouri State when they won UC-D2 National championship” Jasper said with pride. When he wasn’t busy winning cheerleading championships at Northwest Missouri State, he won the heart of his fiancée, Jordyn Hargrave, who he proposed to after the Vandy spring game in 2014. Hargrave graduated last spring is working as a clinical psychologist at the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital.

Jasper had taken an interest in neuroscience and was wanting to further his education. He started looking for schools with neuroscience programs when he found Vanderbilt suited his interests. He applied and was accepted.

The Walk-On

Once at Vandy, he got into cheerleading again. “I met some football players and they started calling me ‘that one cheerleader with the big arms’. They would always joke- ‘hey man, we have walk-on tryouts are you going to walk-on’ but I took it seriously, so when the opportunity arose, I went after it.” recalled Jasper. He made the most of his time as a scout team player. “I loved being able to practice with these best of the best athletes.” Balancing football and cheer, Jasper concentrated on football in the fall and cheerleading during basketball season. Jasper enjoyed every minute of the hectic and chaotic sideline as he dressed for game days his senior year. “A football sideline is a great experience. As a player, it is totally different than as a cheerleader. As a cheerleader, you are more of a fan with a better view.”

Being a walk-on is a unique position for football players, as they are the scout team. Walk-ons have all the same requirements that the scholarship athletes have. Jasper realized early on that he had a chance to be part of something bigger. “I am thankful for Mason. He gave me the opportunity that I have. I have never taken it for granted just always appreciated it.” Jasper continued, “Mason is one of those guys that will have your back no matter what – he will go to war with you – he will take any fall, because he is all about the team being an entire family unit. Coach is the breadwinner in our entire family and he has our back in absolutely everything. I love that about him. Everyone on the team has his back as well and would do anything to work hard for him.”

Doctor Jasper

In addition to being a walk-on with an SEC football practice schedule, Jasper is a Research Assistant at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center with a list of goals including becoming a surgeon. Jasper thinks he would ultimately like to end up in radiology, and he is right on track with his goals. After graduating in May from Vanderbilt, he will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Biotechnology at Brown University this fall. As if a Master’s degree and a fiancée were not enough to keep him busy, Jasper will be playing rugby for Brown University this fall. Once he finishes his Masters and his rugby career, he will pursue medical school.

Limitless

Vanderbilt is a unique university; it’s often called ‘Harvard of the South’ due to its high academic standards. Vandy is also a founding member of the SEC, which is arguably one of the toughest college football conferences. While at Vandy, Jasper made All-SEC Academic Honor Roll. He may not have seen any game time, but during football season he got to go head-to-head with the some of the best players in the SEC.

Although there are no two players that are the same at Vanderbilt, they are each remarkable in their own ways. These Vanderbilt Men all have dreams of changing the world for the better. Jasper just might be the one to cure Alzheimers. As he pursues his next degree and boundless adventure, the words of Coach Mason will forever be stuck in his head, “You have to put 110% into controlling your future.”  Bradyn Jasper, Vanderbilt football player, cheerleader, and graduate is doing just that; he is controlling his limitless future.

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