St. Louis, Mo. – For Bradley Hamilton and Kenneth Hamilton, St. Louis is home. After growing up in the area, the pair of brothers ended up at Washington University in St. Louis playing football for the Bears.
 
Playing college football locally allows the Hamilton brothers to stay connected with their network and allows their parents to attend their games more easily than if they chose a school farther away. Both men expressed their love for the city of St. Louis and intend to stay here long after their playing days at WashU are finished.
 
Not only do Bradley and Kenneth have a deep love for the city and what it has done for them, but also a deep desire to give back to their community.
 
"We grew up here, the city has given a lot to Kenneth and I," said Bradley. "We want to give back to the city that raised us. I love everything about St. Louis. It is quite literally perfect here for us. It's our corner of the world. I enjoy it very much and I feel like I have everything I need."
 
In fact, Bradley and Kenneth enjoy being some of the local guys on the team who others can come to for suggestions.
 
"Bradley and I like leadership roles so being the guys in St. Louis that can tell you where to go, what the best barbershop is, what the best food places are, where to go to have fun… it's nice that people are coming to us knowing that we are from St. Louis."
 
Bradley, a graduate student, and Kenneth, a junior, had different paths on the way to Francis Olympic Field. Bradley didn't have plans to attend WashU or continue playing football in college after playing just one year in high school and devoting the majority of his time to track and field. That changed, however, when former head coach Larry Kindbom called him and opened the door to the Danforth Campus.
 
"I got a call from Coach (Kindbom)," said Bradley. "He offered me a chance to play football here for the next four years. What's unique about it is I wasn't planning on playing football in college. I only played football my senior year and I thought it was going to be a one-and-done kind of thing but I saw the offer from Coach K as an opportunity from a higher power so I took it."
 
Kenneth, however, wanted to play football and was searching for the right fit to commit four years to. After finding a few options that would have been good, WashU popped up and ended up being the right choice.
 
"I wanted to play football somewhere and I was looking for a home," said Kenneth. "The head coach of my high school asked what I thought about WashU. I thought there was no chance... then I got a call from Coach Keen. As soon as I was accepted, the whole family was super excited."
 
The brothers relationship played a huge factor in Bradley coming back for another year. After finishing his bachelor's degree in the spring of 2023, Bradley returned to WashU for his final year of eligibility with the Bears and to pursue his master's degree in teaching.
 
Bradley has been a major contributor on defense for the Bears the last two seasons and in 2022 earned Second Team All-CCIW.
 
"I like spending a lot of time with my brother so the opportunity to have eligibility to play football again and be at the same school as my brother again was a no-brainer," said Bradley.
 
For some, playing in the same program as your older brother could be difficult. Kenneth however, views this as an opportunity to work hard with his brother and it still making a name for himself on and off the field.
 
Kenneth had a breakout year in 2022 as a sophomore. He led the team with 122 carries for 869 yards and was second on the team with 16 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 31 passes for 330 yards and had four receiving touchdowns.
 
"When I got here, people treated me like his little brother because he had talked about me, but it was a good thing because it helped me get into the program easier, a lot of people knew who I was and it was awesome," said Kenneth. "I like that we can be coupled together. I don't mind being his little brother just like he doesn't mind being my big brother. I'd rather be a duo and work together."
 
The pair plans to work together in 2023 to take the Bears to new heights.
 
Bradley reflected on his time since joining the team until now and the way things have changed on and off the field. Bradley's undergraduate class went through the COVID cancelation of 2020 and transitioned coaches from Kindbom to Keen following the 2019 season.
 
"A lot of what me and my brother talk about is that WashU football is transitioning," said Bradley. "Under Coach Keen, you can just feel the competitive aspect of the team and it's a whole different feeling. In years past, we had the idea of closing the gap – what we're doing, how the coaching staff is recruiting, how we are training, all these different aspects of what makes a program great, we are closing the gap on those things. Now this year our motto is 'the standard' – the standard which we hold ourselves to, the standard which we play and practice. In all the years prior, we were building up to this point. Last year we shocked a lot of people and this year we are going to make certain that it was not a fluke, this is what WashU football is all about."
 
"I bet if you ask Coach Keen to pull out his 10 or 20-year plan, we would be very close to hitting the mark that he set for himself," said Kenneth. "Things are working out in our favor and everyone is really excited for the season."
 
As anyone who has played on a sports team can attest to, there are so many memorable things that have nothing to do with wins or losses. Both Bradley and Kenneth are looking forward to all those moments of growth this season.
 
"Especially for the younger guys, I want them to understand what WashU football is beyond the wins and losses," said Bradley. "Coach Keen talks about WashU football as a transformative experience for us rather than a transactional one. He wants you to come into the program and grow as a man. I'm looking forward most to how the young guys grow, how they become acclimated to WashU, how they become acclimated to this new part of their lives. I want them to feel like they can grow and move forward."
 
"I have a blast with all the different characters on the team," said Kenneth. "It's like a TV show. Building relationships and meeting more of the freshmen and getting to know them, that's just a blast."
 
The Hamiltons will make their 2023 home debut on Saturday, September 23 when the Bears host Carthage College at 1 p.m. on Francis Olympic Field.