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Provo • Seven years later, Brigham Young University's Brandon Bradley is ready for his homecoming game.

The BYU cornerback will finally play a football game 15 minutes away from where he grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., on Saturday when the Cougars take on Florida State (1:30 p.m. MT, ESPNU) at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The product of Tallahassee's Lincoln High faced the Seminoles last year at LaVell Edwards Stadium during a 54-28 FSU win, but he says this matchup will have a different feel because he's returning home.

"It's going to be pretty special for me," he said.

BYU junior O'Neill Chambers is also going home. He grew up in Harmony, Fla., about three hours away from Tallahasee. Bradley and Chambers are the only Cougars from Florida. Florida State's roster does not include any players from Utah, and probably never has, Bradley believes.

The places are "worlds apart," Bradley said with a laugh.

How Bradley got to BYU, instead of FSU or any other college football power in the Southeast, is by now a familiar story to BYU fans.

After making 86 tackles, two interceptions and 12 pass breakups his senior year at Lincoln, Bradley signed with Louisville. Florida State wasn't interested in him, nor he in it. His favorite school, Miami, wanted him to walk on as a non-scholarship player.

He signed with Louisville, but went on a two-year LDS Church mission to Sao Paulo, Brazil, before enrolling.

Bradley says he had a "change of heart" on his mission, and decided he wanted to play for LDS Church-owned BYU, at the urging of his mother, Marcia Neely-Be'y. Trouble was, BYU coaches had never heard of him, let alone viewed any film on him, and he had never been to Provo.

But somehow, the blind date worked.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said the Cougars took him sight unseen, based on his height, weight, 40-yard dash time and the quality of high school football in Florida.

"When I met his family, when I knew of his story, it seemed like a chance worth taking," Mendenhall said, noting that it was the first time he had ever done that with a recruit.

In a bit of irony, the Cougars ended up agreeing to a home-and-home series with the Seminoles, paving the way for Saturday's homecoming.

After a serious knee injury caused him to redshirt his first year in Provo, Bradley cracked the starting lineup for three games as a sophomore. He started all 13 games as a junior last year at boundary corner, making 64 tackles.

Bradley and fellow corner Brian Logan led the defense with nine tackles apiece in last year's home loss to FSU. Bradley and his wife, Alexis, have a daughter who turns 2 in December.

Saturday's homecoming has caused Bradley to reflect on his time in Provo, he said, noting the journey has been mostly positive.

"I have had a lot of learning experiences being here and I am sure those learning experiences will carry me throughout my life," he said. "I am glad I made the decision to come."

Mendenhall said Bradley has "enriched" the program.

"Brandon is just fun to be around. His career hasn't been perfect here. But I like his perseverance, and his smile and his presence," the coach said. "He's just a great teammate, and going all the way from why he chose BYU, to now starting and [having] a chance to go home and play. I would really like him to have a good game and have a positive experience."

drew@sltrib.com Twitter: @drewjay —

Bradley file

• BYU's 6-foot senior cornerback grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., and starred at Lincoln High.

• Committed to Louisville, but transferred to BYU after church mission to Brazil.

• Started all 13 games at corner as a junior, totaling 64 tackles and four pass breakups.

• Sixth on the team with nine tackles after two games. —

BYU at Florida State

P Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

TV • ESPNU