2019 NFL Draft hopeful Brady Oliveira wants to give back

2019 NFL Draft hopeful Brady Oliveira knows he can run over people for a living, but he wants to use football as a way to give back.

University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks running back Brady Oliveira is going to make a living as a professional football player running over, through, and around guys.

He might even carry some guys on his back if he has to.

But he also knows he’s got an opportunity through the platform of football to make an impact far beyond the final score of a game.

Feed ‘5’.

That’s what those who follow the North Dakota football program say when Oliveira starts to really feel it.

The bruising running back finished his four years at North Dakota with 501 carries for 2,818 yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, and another 236 receiving yards. Shoot, Oliveira even completed his only collegiate pass for a touchdown.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) native got an offer to come a couple hours south into the United States to play some college ball, and he turned it into a highly productive career with a future in the pros.

Oliveira is fresh off of his first career season with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, and is preparing for the 2019 NFL Draft by working out in Minneapolis, MN.

He has a chance to be the first North Dakota player drafted into the NFL since Chris Kiper was picked by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL Draft (5th round).

Olivera’s well-rounded skillset is ideal for today’s NFL. He is a 5-foot-11, 230-pound back capable of standing in and protecting the quarterback in the passing game, and he also feels like his background in Canadian-style football (where throwing to running backs is even more prominent) gives him an edge as a receiver.

He only had 25 career receptions, but he’s got natural pass catching abilities and is obviously capable of punishing guys in the open field after he catches it.

Oliveira took some time to talk with us at NFL Mocks about his career at North Dakota, his future as a professional athlete, and an incredible mission trip he took during his Spring break in 2018.

Oliveira was an All Big Sky selection in 2016 and 2017, and is one of the school’s all-time leading rushers. Those accomplishments pale in comparison to the impact he made on a mission trip to El Salvador in 2018, an experience that he says changed his life completely.

"“That trip was crazy. I definitely want to go on more mission trips in the future…If you haven’t done that or any serving in your life, I highly recommended. Serving others is what really makes your heart warm. I think that’s really the most amazing thing that you can do in this world…It really opened my eyes to a lot of things.”Brady Oliveira"

He talked about that trip being a launching pad for what he wants to do in the future. In addition to hopefully doing more mission work, Oliveira said that trip helped him realize the platform of influence he has as a football player, and he’s not going to take it for granted.

Football is more than just a game played on Sundays, and this is a guy who realizes it.

In addition to being a phenomenal football player, Oliveira is a model and is putting together an awesome portfolio on his Instagram page.

Over the course of the next couple of months, he is going to get a chance to show what he can do athletically to NFL scouts. He may be a relative unknown in the NFL community, but Oliveira is considered a top 10 prospect for the CFL Draft and is only going to rise on NFL Draft boards the more people watch him play.

He understands he’s a wanted commodity in Canada, but he has his sights set on playing in the NFL.

Even though he grew up in Winnipeg as a big Blue Bombers fan, Oliveira also rooted for the Minnesota Vikings and looked up to Adrian Peterson.

With NFL teams seeking versatile running backs who can grind out tough yardage (this is a guy who averaged over five per carry in college, many of which came after contact) as well as contribute in a variety of ways on third down, he should have a bright future as a pro.