Duncan Radakovich Feature

TODAY IT’S MY SECOND FEATURE ON CODY BRONC ATHLETES THAT WILL BE TAKING THEIR TALENTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. TODAY’S BRONC, DUNCAN RADAKOVICH.

RADAKOVICH HAS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING HIS ACADEMIC AND FOOTBALL CAREER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING AND WILL BE A WALK-ON AT UW. LAST WEEK I SAT DOWN WITH DUNCAN AND HIS FATHER TO DISCUSS THAT DECISION AMONG OTHER TOPICS. RADAKOVICH SAYS UW IS A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM AND WANTS TO BE A PART OF THAT JOURNEY. RADAKOVICH HAD OTHER SCHOOLS SHOW INTEREST BUT HE KNEW WYOMING WAS WHERE HE WANTED TO BE FROM THE BEGINNING. AND WITH HIM HEADING TO LARAMIE HE WILL BE THE FIRST PLAYER UNDER HEAD COACH MATT MCFADDEN TO ACCOMPLISH A CERTAIN FEAT.

“CHADRON STATE WAS ONE OF MY TOP SCHOOLS BUT REALLY I WANTED TO GO D1 BECAUSE I GUESS I’M THE FIRST DIVISION 1 KID UNDER COACH MCFADDEN. SO IT’S PRETTY COOL.”

DUNCAN SAYS THAT’S PRETTY SPECIAL.

“OH YEA. IT’LL BE FUN. I’M GLAD I GET THAT EXPERIENCE AND I’M GLAD I’M THE KID WHO CAN DO IT. I THINK IT’S A REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITY.”

WHILE RADAKOVICH IS CURRENTLY PLAYING BASKETBALL AND STILL HAS THE SPRING SPORT SEASON TO GO, HE TALKS ABOUT WHAT HIS NEXT STEP IS FOOTBALL WISE.

“I KNOW GETTING READY FOR THE SHRINE BOWL. I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THAT. THAT’LL BE A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE. THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT I GO TO LARAMIE AND I START LIFTING AND DOING ALL THAT. SO I JUST GOTTA GET IN SHAPE AND THEN REFINE MY TECHNIQUE AND FOOTBALL SKILLS.”

HE ADDS WHEN THE SHRINE BOWL TAKES PLACE AND WHAT HE HAS TO DO TO GET READY.

“JUNE 6TH THROUGH THE 13TH. I JUST GO TO BE IN THE BEST SHAPE AS POSSIBLE. I WANT TO BE THE GUY THEY NEVER TAKE OFF THE FIELD.”

SPEAKING OF BEING A GUY THAT NEVER WANTS TO COME OFF THE FIELD. YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IT BY LOOKING AT HIM, DUNCAN STANDS 6 FET 5 INCHES TALL AND WEIGHS 250 POUNDS, BUT COLLEGES DIDN’T REALLY START TO NOTICE HIM UNTIL HIS JUNIOR YEAR WHEN HEAD COACH MATT MCFADDEN, STARTED SENDING OUT HIS TAPE. RADAKOVICH ON THE BIGGEST ADVICE HE’D TELL ANYONE LOOKING TO MOVE ON.

“ACCORDING TO MY DEFENSIVE TACKLE COACH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I TOOK THE MOST AMOUNT OF REPS IN CODY HIGH SCHOOL ON SCOUT TEAM OR ANYTHING. I WOULD JUST SAY GET IN AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, WORK HARD IN THE OFF-SEASON AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, NEVER TAKE A REP OFF. DO AN EXTRA REP IF POSSIBLE. JUST WORK YOUR BUTT OFF ALL THE TIME.”

AS FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS RADAKOVICH ALSO GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE AND HOW HE FELT THROUGH THE WHOLE OPERATION.

“IT WAS A VERY SLOW BUT FAST TIME. YOU’RE WAITING FOR THAT PHONE CALL BUT ALSO IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO GET MOVING CAUSE THEIR’S ALL THOSE NCAA DEAD ZONES. IT WAS A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT I’M A LUCKY ONE TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF IT. YEA, JUST LIKE IT WAS A VERY LONG BUT SLOW PROCESS THE ENTIRE TIME.”

DUNCAN’S DAD, J.D. RADAKOVICH WAS A WALK-ON AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY AND EARNED A SCHOLARSHIP. J.D.’S INITIAL THOUGHTS ON DUNCAN GOING TO WYOMING.

“I KNEW THAT WYOMING HAD BEEN TALKING TO HIM. WE’RE EXCITED, WE’RE PROUD OF HIM AND IT’S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM. IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WALK-ON SITUATION IS A GOOD THING FOR HIM AND TO BE ABLE TO GO TO WYOMING AND DEVELOP. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO GIVE HIM THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO, WE’RE EXCITED FOR HIM.”

J.D. SAYS DUNCAN WAS A LATE BLOOMER NOT REALLY MAKING NOISE UNTIL HIS JUNIOR YEAR. J.D. ADDS THAT COULD BE THE SAME WHEN DUNCAN GOES TO WYOMING.

“IT’S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY. IT’S SPECIAL. HIS MOM AND I WERE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PUSH HIM IN ANY DIRECTION. IF HE WANTED TO DO IT, GREAT, WE WERE GOING TO SUPPORT HIM BUT TRY NOT TO PUSH HIM ALONG THE WAY. WE’RE JUST GLAD HE’S GETTING THAT CHANCE. IT WAS A SLOW PROGRESSION FOR HIM IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I THINK IT’LL START THAT WAY FOR HIM AT WYOMING. HE’S GOT TO PUT ON A BUNCH OF WEIGHT AND GIVE HIM A COUPLE YEARS AND WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.”

AND WILL J.D. ALL OF A SUDDEN BE THROWING ON THE BROWN AND GOLD?

“WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO PLAY EACH OTHER, I’M A WINNER EITHER WAY. SO I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT OPPORTUNITY AND WE’LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT.”

DUNCAN WILL HEAD TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING AS A PREFERRED WALK-ON AND STAY TUNED TO THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK FOR MORE ON DUNCAN AND ALL OF CODY ATHLETICS.