If you happen to run into senior defender Kerel Bradford on campus, one of the first things you’ll probably notice is the large ring on his finger.
If you miss the ring, you probably need your eyes checked, or need to stop worrying about that test because it’s probably too late to study now.
The red rock with the IU insignia in the middle is more than just a big piece of bling. It’s a symbol of being the best, entitling the 2012 IU men’s soccer team to bragging rights for a lifetime.
When Eriq Zavaleta’s header centered the ball in front of then-junior Nikita Kotlov for a goal that put Indiana ahead of Georgetown and the rest of college soccer, memories were captured like photographs for each of the players on that 2012 team.
On Dec. 9, 2012,, the Hoosiers brought home their eighth National Championship in school history.
Bradford said his ring brings that date and all that happened back to the forefront of his mind.
“It is in my locker waiting for me to put it on. I wear it every day. I never take it off, except at practice,” Bradford said. “So many memories happened within that year, and every time I look at it, it brings back all the good times that we had and all the hard work and success that encompassed last year.”
Bradford said receiving the ring was like winning the championship all over again. It was like lifting the trophy, crying and expressing all the emotions again that go along with accomplishing a life goal.
Bradford was actually part of the ring designing process.
He said he and fellow seniors Jacob Bushue and Harrison Petts wanted to approach the coach and talk about making the ring their own instead of going with the default ring route.
IU Coach Todd Yeagley said he happily obliged.
“We had a big meeting with Kerel and Harrison, our staff and the ring designer,” Yeagley said. “We showed what we had done in the past, and then said ‘Hey, this is up to you guys.’ We had a little veto power, but we wanted them to feel good about the ring. They immediately had ideas, and we went with everything they liked.”
Yeagley was a four-time All-American while he played at IU, but landed just short of winning a national championship his senior year when the team lost to Virginia 1-0 in the final game in 1994.
Despite it being his first ring, Yeagley had some design advice for his players.
“The only thing I told them was to be careful with the size,” Yeagley said. “They’re soccer players, so their hands aren’t that big, so you have to make sure it looks proportional, so when you’re 30 and out and about, it looks right. I think they chose the right size.”
Yeagley said his players love to wear their rings, but he, on the other hand, does not quite follow suit.
He said jewelry isn’t really his style. Instead, Yeagley wears it when the mood strikes.
“It’s in my toiletry, so every morning I see it,” Yeagley said. “Some days I wear it. Some days I don’t. There’s really no rhyme or reason. I’m not a big jewelry guy every day, so some days I put it on. Some days I don’t.”
This year, the team returns with a host of players who saw significant time last year, including Kotlov, Petts, Bradford and Bushue, as well as senior defender Matt McKain, junior defender Patrick Doody, senior midfielder A.J. Corrado, sophomore forward Femi Hollinger-Janzen, sophomore forward Andrew Oliver, junior midfielder Dylan Lax, sophomore midfielder Richard Ballard and sophomore midfielder Kyle Sparks.
All of those players started at least four games in 2012.
It’s an experienced group, as the only losses to the roster were Zavaleta, goalkeeper Luis Soffner, defender Caleb Konstanski, midfielder Joe Tolen and forward Tim Wylie.
The team also added freshman brothers Tommy and Tanner Thompson, as well as Louisville transfer Dylan Mares, who led the Cardinals in scoring in 2012.
But when the players who remain from last year’s team look at their rings, it still brings up memories from the 2012 season.
Doody said he thought about his ring after the team won in December, and that it was just the icing on top of the cake when the team received them a few months later.
He said he loves to wear his ring whenever the opportunity presents itself. He said he gets comments about the ring while riding the bus around campus.
He said just looking at the ring makes him think of that one moment of victory.
“(It was) the greatest moment of my life,” Doody said. “I love wearing it. I love looking at it. It just represents so much, and any time I have a chance to wear it, I do.”
Follow reporter Alyssa Extin on Twitter @alyssa_extin.
