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Following his final CFL season two years ago, former Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Jykine Bradley opened his own high-performance gym in Brantford. The facility allows him to share his many years of football experience with some of the sports rising stars.

For six years as a Ticat and one with the Eskimos, Jykine Bradley was a terror in CFL backfields and a menace to opposing quarterbacks and receivers.

He’s still just as passionate, but he’s traded the gridiron for his own gym — Bradley Sports Performance in Brantford.

Jykine Bradley: “Well, when i was growing up we never had anythign like this, and me and my teammates we always say, ‘if we had this’. I want to take that out of the equation for the kids, and instead of them saying ‘if we had this’, I’m preparing them to move on to the next level and not just as athletes but in life. Nothing is handed to you. What you get, you’ve gotta work for.”

Former teammates like Marc Beswick, Ryan Hinds and Jeff Tisdale still train with Bradley. But today, it’s a group of local high school students who have their sights set on playing college football. They appreciate Bradley’s “body and mind” approach.

Jamaal: “Jykine preaches to stay mentally strong at all times, it’s 95% mental and 5% physical. He always says hard work beats talent.”

Jamaal Jones-Peters, an 18-year old defensive back, heading into his final year at Brantford Collegiate — has already been recruited on both sides of the border. Ask any of Bradley’s clients and they’ll tell you, he isn’t just helping them build speed and strength, they’re building character, too.

Lorenzo Alfano: “Even when we’re starting to slack or starting to fall down a little, he helps us back up and keeps us motivated.”

Brad Ward: “He’s actually built my confidence and my strength. It’s allowed me to be a better football player and better athlete and better person in general.”