New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

Sam Bradford may never have been to Gibbon or New Ulm, but Thursday night he became a direct link to professional football as the No. 1 choice in the 2010 National Food Fall League draft. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams. (See attachment for details).
His great grandfather was a doctor in New Ulm and Gibbon. His grandfather (Johnny Esser) and his siblings are graduates of New Ulm High School, Johny played baseball for Gibbon as well as a short stint in New Ulm.
The family ties go through Dr. Oscar Esser who was the physician and a New Ulm High School graduate and good athlete in the early 1920’s. Dr. Esser played with the 1921 New Ulm High School state tournament basketball team. In Gibbon the connection with athletic Stadtherr family is extensive. The various connections are elaborated in the attachment.