In this context, i would say it means to strategically positioning themselves in a way that they anticipate the moves or actions of an opponent, gaining a tactical advantage.

He was teammates with and played the same position as a famous American football player, Terry Bradshaw, when he was in college. He ‘played ahead’ is a little ambiguous but I’d interpret it to describe his situation on the team: he played quarterback before Bradshaw arrived and then continued to play quarterback even though the eventual superstar Bradshaw was his teammate. Because he was chosen to be quarterback over Bradshaw he suggests that he also had potential to be an NFL star. In fact it’s pretty common in college sports at that level to favor older players and let younger players improve before taking over the role, so the suggestion is likely false.