| Michigan Wolverines | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 14, 1970 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Baton Rouge (LA) University |
| College: | Southern California |
| NFL Draft: | 1994 / Round: 4 / Pick: 106 |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
Bradford Banta (born December 14, 1970) is a former American football tight end and long snapper in the National Football League (NFL).
Banta was a two-year starter at tight end for USC Trojans (1989–93), as well as a four-time letter-winner. He earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a junior and senior and received his bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in sociology in 1993.
Banta was drafted in the fourth round of the 1994 NFL Draft, 106 overall, by the Indianapolis Colts.[1] He went on and played from 1994 to 2004 for the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets, the Detroit Lions, and the Buffalo Bills. He is noted for committing two unnecessary roughness penalties on a Monday Night Football matchup against the Miami Dolphins in 2000.
Banta served as a long snapper for a majority of his career, and played exclusively on special teams with the Lions. He had previously played tight end in offensive situations for the Colts.
After his playing days, Banta worked with as a supervisor for George Wright Construction for a year and in Chase’s Home Financial Division for nearly two years in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Banta coached the tight ends during the Chattanooga Mocs' 2007 season.
Banta was the assistant special teams coach for the Detroit Lions from 2008 to 2011, and then the assistant linebackers coach for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
On February 4, 2014, it was announced that Banta would join the team as the Washington Redskins assistant special teams coach, serving under Ben Kotwica.
On January 31, 2017, the New Orleans Saints hired Banta as their Special teams coordinator.