Bending the rules here because of the unusual circumstances. May the forum Gods and Ian forgive me. From the Athletic this mornig
Isaiah Bolden, injured Patriots rookie, turned teammates into fans: ‘All the guys love him’
By
Chad Graff
7h ago
Matthew Slater took a liking to
Isaiah Bolden after meeting him for the first time shortly after the
New England Patriots picked Bolden in the seventh round of this spring’s
NFL Draft.
After starting his college career at Florida State, Bolden transferred in 2020 to Jackson State, where he played for Deion Sanders. Slater loved having an alum of a historically black college and university on the team. Slater’s parents went to Jackson State. It’s where his dad, Jackie, starred as an offensive tackle, the precursor to a Hall of Fame career. So Slater, 37, had a lot to talk about with the 23-year-old rookie from Tampa, Fla.
Bolden also recognized that special teams were crucial to his goal of making the Patriots’ 53-man roster. He had been the best kickoff returner in the FCS, leading the subdivision in return yards in 2021. So who better to have as his mentor than Slater?
That’s part of what made what transpired Saturday night so hard for Slater and the Patriots. Even if Bolden has only been with the team since April, he has already made a big impact.
During the fourth quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against the
Packers in Green Bay, Bolden collided with teammate
Calvin Munson, fell to the turf and lay motionless. He was immobilized and taken off the field on a stretcher. The Patriots and Packers agreed to call off the remainder of the game, which had 10 minutes, 29 seconds left on the clock.
https://theathletic.com/4789905/2023/08/19/patriots-packers-isaiah-bolden-injury/
Bolden had feeling in his extremities and was taken to a hospital, according to a team statement. He will stay at the hospital overnight, and the team will provide its next update in the morning. While trainers tended to Bolden, Slater gathered teammates for a prayer.
“He’s been a joy to be around,” Slater said of Bolden. “He’s a young man that has a lot of talent, but he’s a young man that always has a smile on his face, is always positive, is always bringing great energy to practice.”
Bolden arrived in New England after a couple of standout years at Jackson State. He was a four-star recruit in high school and, again, initially attended Florida State. But after two years there, the coaching staff wanted to flip him from cornerback to wide receiver. He didn’t want to make that change.
So, Bolden transferred to Jackson State to play for Sanders. There, he quickly turned into one of the most exciting players in FCS. In 2021, he was a standout kick returner. In 2022, he became a starting cornerback and parlayed his success into becoming a Day 3 pick of the Patriots.
That was good news for
Mac Jones. The quarterback from Jacksonville, Fla., grew up playing in seven-on-seven tournaments in the state and occasionally faced Bolden. Jones knew Bolden could play.
“Definitely one of my brothers,” Jones said. “Sounds like he’s doing a lot better, from what they’re telling us (at the hospital). So, that’s awesome.”
Bolden has made a quick impression on the Patriots coaches. He has been squarely on the roster bubble, fighting for a chance to make the team, and coaches seemed to recognize that Saturday. Bolden got playing time at cornerback before
Marcus Jones and
Ameer Speed.
That speaks to the progress he has made in recent weeks. Bolden had a pair of strong practices against the Packers earlier this week and seemed poised to forge a path to the roster.
“He’s been very good,” safety
Jalen Mills said. “I think he just had a daughter this offseason. He’s a great rookie. Works hard each and every day, asks questions. Nothing really bad to say about the kid. I just hope for the best for him.”
Bolden put himself on the Patriots’ radar because of his speed and prowess as a returner. During the pre-draft process, he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash. Patriots scouts marveled at his athleticism.
When the Patriots selected Bolden with the 245th pick, he became the lone player drafted this spring from an HBCU.
“It means a lot to me, carrying the weight of the HBCUs,” Bolden said after the draft. “There are a lot of talented guys out there.”
From there, it didn’t take long for Bolden to make a positive impression on his teammates, who now anxiously await another update on his status. The Patriots had planned to travel to Nashville on Sunday, then begin joint practices against the
Tennessee Titans on Tuesday.
It wasn’t immediately clear after the game whether that was going to be impacted. Thoughts afterward were with the rookie who has already ingratiated himself with teammates amid a battle to make the Week 1 roster.
“All the guys love him,” Slater said. “He’s fit into our locker room seamlessly.”
www.patspulpit.com
