How do you keep your standards when talent is scarce, and pressure to perform is sky-high? For Steelers’ legend Terry Bradshaw, the answer to that question comes as tough choices. For Bradshaw, being a superstar – on the field or in the family – isn’t enough. Picture this: you’re staring down the hardest decision of your career, only it’s not a coach you’re letting go – it’s your own blood. That’s exactly the crossroads where Bradshaw once found himself.
On an edition of To The Point – Home Services Podcast, Terry Bradshaw was asked how he dealt with top performers who “don’t adapt to the process.” Bradshaw’s classic response was steeped in inspiration from former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson. “I’ll answer it by quoting Jimmy Johnson. If you are fantastic and if you are a superstar, you will be treated differently than the average Joe. Jimmy would say, ‘to heck with the process. Show me the results.’” He also noted that his process at Bradshaw Quarter Horses is all about results. And if you cannot show the results, if Bradshaw has to “tell you more than twice to do something” then his wife Tammy Bradshaw is simply going to fire you. But what happens when it’s a bit more personal than that?
On the podcast, Bradshaw revealed he has directly fired only three people to this day. One was an employee who worked for him for 19 long years, but was stealing from him. The other was a toxic coworker who was nice to Bradshaw but horrible to everyone else. But the first person he ever fired wasn’t an underperforming player or a locker room loudmouth. It was his uncle. As he put it, “My uncle. I fired my uncle. That was actually my first fire… A family member. Yeah. So I fired three key people in my life and that’s it.” It’s a twist fit for a Hollywood retelling. A superstar QB, famous for ice-in-the-vein throws under the stadium lights, forced to make a call no family dinner can prepare you for. Bradshaw faced a truth every leader eventually confronts: talent means nothing if it tears the team apart.
INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 30: Terry Bradshaw of Fox Sports during the NFC Conference Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams on January 30, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. Photo by Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 30 NFC Conference Championship – 49ers at Rams Icon5922201302227
Since then, his wife Tammy has taken over the responsibilities of personnel firings. While Bradshaw didn’t dive into the whys and whens of his uncle’s firing, his ethos was clear. As Bradshaw further added on the podcast, “You have to set down your values as a company and whoever excels at that obviously will be treated a little differently than somebody else. But if they are not a good person, I don’t care how much money they’re making. I’m not going to put up with it. I can’t handle that.” Character isn’t optional; it’s everything. And if keeping your best performer costs you your culture, the price is too high. Perhaps it’s fitting that one of football’s greatest leaders found his hardest test at the intersection of family and principle.
But beyond the determination and strength to make difficult choices, there’s another story brewing from the legendary QB. Apart from the gridiron spotlights and newsroom hot takes, Bradshaw has found another drive in his life. One that has him all in, with the fam along for the ride.
Terry Bradshaw’s investments away from football fields
These days, Terry Bradshaw’s heart beats fastest far from the blinding lights of NFL Sundays. While the broadcast world debates his future alongside rising stars, Bradshaw is spending his time championing a different kind of arena. His sprawling ranch and the horse show circuit. This summer, instead of dissecting offseason moves and shifting locker room dynamics, Bradshaw was found at the Palomino World Show with his wife. Grinning in cowboy hats and clutching medals like royalty. For Bradshaw, days that once belonged to game tape and studio lights are now filled with the rhythm of horse hooves, charity fundraisers, and the camaraderie of the PHBA.
But for Bradshaw, the equestrian scene isn’t just a new hobby. It’s a genuine second act. The passion that his grandfather once instilled in him has taken root in a big way. The Bradshaws have become pillars in the horse show world, recently launching the ‘Bradshaw Challenge’ to match up to $50,000 in donations for the PHBA this year. Back in 2022, the association had also honored them with the President’s Special Service Award. It was a nod to their commitment and Terry’s first world champion horse, fittingly named ‘Influential’. It’s no wonder their ranch looks more like the set of a country pageant than a place for off-season relaxation. Apart from all this, Bradshaw is also a 20% stakeholder for 3 thoroughbred horses trained by Ken McPeek.
While NFL fans may still picture Bradshaw on the Fox set, his hands are busy elsewhere. He’s also cooking up recipes with his family for their upcoming cookbook – The Bradshaw Family Cookbook – set to arrive on the scene mid-September. The published project will capture the Bradshaw legacy in comfort food and Bradshaw’s storytelling as they lean further into a ranch lifestyle where horse shows and hearty casseroles matter more than television ratings or contract negotiations. For Terry Bradshaw, the saddle and the family kitchen have replaced the studio chair. His legendary enthusiasm isn’t fading. It’s simply galloping in a new direction, one that feels as authentic as the cowboy hat perched atop his silver hair.
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