Brad Musso '05
Wheaton, Illinois
Sport: Football
Degrees: Communication
Brad Musso was a unanimous All-American at wide receiver for the Thunder football team in 2004, earning selection to four All-America teams. He was named as a First Team All-American by the AFCA and also earned a spot on the Associated Press Little All-American Team as well as All-America recognition from D3football.com (Second Team) and Football Gazette (Second Team). Musso is a four-time All-CCIW selection, earning First Team honors in each of his final three seasons.
As a senior in 2004, Musso caught a school-record 98 passes for 1,293 yards with nine touchdown receptions. He finished the campaign ranked second in Division III in receptions per game with 8.9 catches per game; and he was fourth in the nation in receiving yards with 117.5 receiving yards per game.
In four seasons, Musso caught a school-record 255 passes. His school-record 4,287 career receiving yards was the fifth-highest total in Division III history at the time of his graduation and is 11
th today. Brad also holds Wheaton's career records for all-purpose yards with 5,332 yards and the all-time leader in punt return yardage at the time of his graduation with 923 yards (he is now second in the category). Musso scored 39 career touchdowns and tallied 236 career points, a mark that ranked third at the time of his graduation and is now fifth on Wheaton's all-time list. His streak of 38-consecutive games with at least one reception is also a school record.
Retired Wheaton football coach
Mike Swider says of Musso, "Brad came from a football family where his dad starred at Alabama and his brothers at Northwestern. You could see it from the beginning. Football was in his blood and his genes." Swider continues, "Brad Musso had some extraordinary talent. He was a tremendously strong and explosive athlete who could accelerate and change direction like few I had ever seen. He had excellent hands, but what was really special was watching him after the ball was caught. No defender had a chance to tackle this guy in the open field, AND I MEAN NOBODY. Watching him return punts was truly amazing. However, I really believe Brad's greatest attribute was his poise and how calm he was. The moment never became too big for him. He was so relaxed and football always remained just a game to him, no different than the playground."
Brad says of his time at Wheaton, "I learned the importance of hard work. We put a lot of work into being successful as a team. I've tried to bring that same determination into all I do." He continues, "I also learned that faith comes before everything. I've seen that modeled in the Wheaton football program, with the coaches and my teammates – keeping Christ central allows me to approach everything focused on Him for His purposes."
Musso recalls of Wheaton's rivalry with Augustana, "Our class beat Augie all four seasons in pretty dramatic fashion. These were meaningful games because each year it came down to these games to determine the conference champion. More importantly, in each of these games different individuals stepped up when they were called to make plays. The games show the character of our team. We could count on everyone all the time."
Brad reflects, "I am most proud of what we accomplished as a team – winning three conference titles and winning games. Any accomplishment that I had as an individual was evidence of how great the people were around me." He concludes, "I am most thankful for the way Wheaton football shaped my faith and my character. I am passionate about the ministry that God has given me because of the way my teachers and coaches at Wheaton College impacted me. God used my time playing football to build the character qualities that I depend on to share Christ, and for that I am thankful."
Following his time at Wheaton, Brad went on to earn his Master's Degree in Divinity at Denver Seminary. Today, he teaches and is the head of the Bible Department at Wheaton Academy, also serving as an assistant coach for the Warriors' football team. He and his wife Katharine live in Wheaton with their two children: Elijah and Kharis.
