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Former Baltimore Ravens center Bradley Bozeman.
Before Tyler Linderbaum, there was Bradley Bozeman at center for the Baltimore Ravens.
It’s a position Bozeman held down for almost 4 seasons, including 3 consecutive season with 16 starts from 2019 to 2021.
Bozeman announced his retirement from the NFL after 8 seasons on Monday via his official Instagram account, and after spending the last 4 seasons with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers.
“After 8 seasons in the NFL, I’m ready for my next chapter,” Bozeman wrote. “This game has given me so much — lessons, lifelong friendships, and memories my family will carry forever. I’ve poured everything I had into this journey, and I walk away grateful and proud. Thank you to every teammate, coach, and fan I was blessed to cross paths with along the way … Someone once told me, ‘Every career — no matter how decorated — ends in a trash bag’ … The game moves on. Someone fills your spot. I’m just thankful God gave me the chance to take the ride.”
Bozeman, 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, added a reel of photos to his post that started with a picture of him running out of a tunnel for the Ravens.
“A 6th round pick by Ravens in 2018, Bozeman started 110 games over 8 seasons,” ESPN’s Jamison Hensley wrote on X.
“Breaking: Chargers veteran center Bradley Bozeman has announced his retirement,” NFL influencer Dov Kleiman wrote on X. “Bozeman is only 31 years old. Congrats on an amazing career.”
Viral Clip Minted Bozeman’s Status in NFL Circles
If you want to sum up how Bozeman is viewed by his fellow NFL players, you can point to just 1 clip from his career — a game from October 2024 when New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd twisted the ankle of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert long after the play was over.
Bozeman’s immediate, violent response drew praise from all over the sporting world and even got him a game ball from Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Herbert was already playing through a right high ankle sprain.
“It was probably one of the dirtier plays I’ve ever seen,” Bozeman said. “You protect your quarterback no matter what. And I think any of our offensive linemen that was in my position would’ve done the same thing.”
From ESPN’s Kris Rihm: “After drawing an unnecessary roughness call for defending Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert following an illegal hit in Sunday’s 26-8 win over the New Orleans Saints, center Bradley Bozeman was celebrated by teammates and awarded a game ball by coach Jim Harbaugh … Bozeman, the only Chargers lineman who saw the interaction, sprinted and pushed Shepherd off Herbert, then continued shoving Shepherd into the ground before Herbert and an official separated them.”
Bozeman Lived in RV During 2019 NFL Season
Before he got to the NFL and the Ravens, Bozeman was a 2-time national champion playing for head coach Nick Saban at the University of Alabama following the 2015 and 2017 seasons — he was also an All-SEC selection in 2017.
In the NFL, Bozeman was known for being sort of quirky. During the 2019 season, Bozeman and his wife, former Alabama basketball player Nikki Hegstetter, lived full-time in an RV he bought to travel in during the offseason
Bozeman and Hegstetter, who have been married since 2018, now have 3 small children — all born after they moved out of the RV — and Bozeman accumulated approximately $25 million in career earnings over 8 seasons.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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