Senior Retrospective: Jeff Bolton
12/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
At some point after last month's Bobcat-Grizzly game in Bozeman, in MSU's triumphant frenzy, Jeff Bolton and Dennis Lulay, Travis' father, shared a hug. That moment unleashed a torrent of emotion for the famously-stoic center. "It just hit me," he says.
With the amateur portion of Bolton's career in the books, the player bound to be remembered as one of the Montana State's all-time greats reflects on his life as a Bobcat.
Q: You're a player that seems destined for professional football. Have you found an agent?
JB: Not yet. I have two guys I'm considering.
Q: What has that process been like?
JB: There are a lot of guys, you really have to narrow it down. I've probably had contact with 30 or 35 guys.
Q: What goes into the decision?
JB: A lot of it is who they have now, how many active players. You can check if they've had grievances against them on the NFL Players Association web site.
Q: You've earned several All-America honors already and more certainly are on the way. What goes through your mind as these awards pile up?
JB: Just that it's nice that people realize how hard we work. To get these awards is a blessing. You don't start out thinking about that kind of thing when you're younger, you just think how sweet it would be to play college football. Then you get the chance and you work hard, it's been amazing. And it's nice to get awards like that. I can't even say how much Coach Mac (offensive line coach Jason McEndoo) has done for me. All of my technique and everything I've learned I owe to Coach Mac.
Q: Does it feel like your four years at Montana State has dragged or flown?
JB: It feels like I just got here and now it's almost time to leave. I was talking to Travis about that a little while ago, and we both feel that way.
Q: Other than the great wins and the championships, what thoughts stick in your mind about your four years as a Bobcat?
JB: All the guys that I've met. I'll never forget them. We may not remember all the games, the wins and the losses, but I'll always remember the guys I played with, Fig and Birkeland and Trav. They've helped me change as a person. Just being around this atmosphere (motioning to the Fieldhouse surroundings), it's been so great."
Q: You were so emotional after the Grizzly game, what was going through your mind that got to you?
JB: I was holding it together until Travis' dad found me and gave me a hug, and he had tears in his eyes. That got to me, how much this place means to me. I'm sure me and Travis were the worst. It's an emotional game.
Q: Are you excited to play in the Las Vegas Bowl (all-star game) and about the possibility of some of the other all-star games and the combine?
JB: Oh yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new guys. Especially that Las Vegas game, that will be a blast. They already have things line up for us, it should be fun. (The Las Vegas All-American Bowl begins at 8:30 pm MST on Saturday, January 14 in Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium)
With the amateur portion of Bolton's career in the books, the player bound to be remembered as one of the Montana State's all-time greats reflects on his life as a Bobcat.
Q: You're a player that seems destined for professional football. Have you found an agent?
JB: Not yet. I have two guys I'm considering.
Q: What has that process been like?
JB: There are a lot of guys, you really have to narrow it down. I've probably had contact with 30 or 35 guys.
Q: What goes into the decision?
JB: A lot of it is who they have now, how many active players. You can check if they've had grievances against them on the NFL Players Association web site.
Q: You've earned several All-America honors already and more certainly are on the way. What goes through your mind as these awards pile up?
JB: Just that it's nice that people realize how hard we work. To get these awards is a blessing. You don't start out thinking about that kind of thing when you're younger, you just think how sweet it would be to play college football. Then you get the chance and you work hard, it's been amazing. And it's nice to get awards like that. I can't even say how much Coach Mac (offensive line coach Jason McEndoo) has done for me. All of my technique and everything I've learned I owe to Coach Mac.
Q: Does it feel like your four years at Montana State has dragged or flown?
JB: It feels like I just got here and now it's almost time to leave. I was talking to Travis about that a little while ago, and we both feel that way.
Q: Other than the great wins and the championships, what thoughts stick in your mind about your four years as a Bobcat?
JB: All the guys that I've met. I'll never forget them. We may not remember all the games, the wins and the losses, but I'll always remember the guys I played with, Fig and Birkeland and Trav. They've helped me change as a person. Just being around this atmosphere (motioning to the Fieldhouse surroundings), it's been so great."
Q: You were so emotional after the Grizzly game, what was going through your mind that got to you?
JB: I was holding it together until Travis' dad found me and gave me a hug, and he had tears in his eyes. That got to me, how much this place means to me. I'm sure me and Travis were the worst. It's an emotional game.
Q: Are you excited to play in the Las Vegas Bowl (all-star game) and about the possibility of some of the other all-star games and the combine?
JB: Oh yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new guys. Especially that Las Vegas game, that will be a blast. They already have things line up for us, it should be fun. (The Las Vegas All-American Bowl begins at 8:30 pm MST on Saturday, January 14 in Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium)
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