Bolton's Breakout

Curtis Bolton thought he might be long gone before this football season started.

His first four years at Oklahoma had not gone smoothly, on the field or off.

Bolton's 2017 campaign ended prematurely with a season-ending ankle injury suffered at Baylor in the fourth game during a year that would end with a national semifinal appearance in the College Football Playoff.

“Going into last year, I felt on top of the world,” said Bolton, who had re-dedicated himself to the playbook and film room. “I felt I finally got it physically. I felt I finally got it mentally. At that time, I was just waiting on an opportunity.”

Bolton's opportunity to shine was cut short, however, and it affected the OU defense.

“We were really counting on him,” Sooners inside linebackers coach Tim Kish said of Bolton. “We had him in all of our packages ? regular, nickel and dime ? doing different things in each one. We were counting on him a year ago to be a major factor in all three position groups. He showed us a real talent when we moved to the dime package and moved him up to the line of scrimmage. He became the premier pass rusher for us. (Bolton getting hurt) was devastating for all of us, devastating for him.”

Bolton was so devastated by the injury he seriously considered transferring to another program after the holiday break.

“He was a little frustrated in the winter,” Kish said. “We actually had several visits together. He wasn't sure about how he was going to fit in. I think in the back of his mind he was concerned about whether or not he'd really have a fair opportunity to get out there and win a job again.”

"Curtis was worth every fight. He's not a quitter, never has been... I give him all the credit for staying with it."
? Tim Kish

Kish said he assured Bolton he would be given a fair chance to compete for the weakside linebacker job with junior Caleb Kelly, who started 13 of 14 games last year at strongside linebacker. Ultimately, Bolton won the job over the spring and fall and has started all four games this season for the No. 6-ranked Sooners (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big 12).

“I could have picked up and left and said, ?You know what, I don't like my situation here,'” Bolton said. “But who says I don't go to another school and it doesn't happen the same way? I just recognized the problems within myself. I'm blessed the coaching staff gave me an opportunity in my fifth year to show that.”

Bolton said one of the primary reasons he stuck around was because of his position coach.

“Coach Kish has sacrificed a lot for me,” Bolton said. “He's taken a lot of heat for me over the years. He's done all he can to make me a better football player. A big part of me staying here was I feel like I owed that to him to finish it out. He was the guy who brought me in.”

Bolton contemplated leaving after last season but has worked his way into being one of OU's top contributors this year.

Kish recruited Bolton out of Vista Murrieta High School in California, where he played outside linebacker, defensive end and inside linebacker. “Wherever he played, he showed flashes of excellence at all three positions,” Kish said. “Probably the thing most intriguing about him was his ability to pass rush as a linebacker.”

Rushing the passer became Bolton's first love in football. Actually, anywhere on defense would suffice for the 6-foot, 218-pounder.

“I'm a D-lineman at heart, I just never grew into the body,” Bolton said. “Rushing the passer comes pretty natural to me. In high school, I darn near rushed every down. My pass rush is what got me here and I think my pass rush is going to keep me elevated and be a big part of my game. I'm just glad I can still do that.”

When circumstances call for pressure, Kish doesn't hesitate utilizing Bolton.

“He'd like to be unleashed and sent on every snap if he had his druthers,” Kish said. “Unfortunately, at inside linebacker you don't have the opportunity to do that. That's one of his fortes, there's no doubt about it. I'd argue he's one of the best pass rushers on our defense right now. He certainly is from an outside position. He just has a certain knack about him and a way of getting to the football and finding the quarterback.”

Bolton certainly is a rare breed, because the other side of the ball has never appealed to him.

“I was never a fan of offense. I'm not going to lie to you,” Bolton said. “I've always been a defensive-minded player. I never wanted to have the ball. I always wanted to hit the guy with it. That's just kind of how it was. I had a lot of anger issues when I was little. Football usually helped me take the stress off (and) just run into people full speed. It's hard to do that now. You kind of have to become more controlled (playing linebacker in college). It's a mentality thing that I try to keep in mind.”

A three-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 24/7 Sports, Bolton had 75 solo tackles and 13.0 sacks his senior season, catching the eye of several major programs. Bolton committed the summer before his senior season and chose OU over Washington, Arizona and Iowa State.

“I remember when I first got an offer here. I looked at the map and I was like, ?Oklahoma is so far away,'” Bolton said. “At the end of the day, the football here is so great, the culture, just how things work, how people go around (talking football), it superseded everything else. Our coaching staff stuck out like a bright light and it kind of made my decision real easy. These coaches are so great and they put us in great positions to succeed on the field, succeed for life and succeed for our future.”

Leaving home proved to be stressful for Bolton, who also had to overcome academic shortcomings. To help him get acclimated, he was redshirted as a true freshman in 2014.

“I was kind of lost after that,” admitted Bolton, who also had to rotate positions from outside linebacker to inside. “It took me a while to come back. That was a tough transition.”

Bolton admitted he was “kind of still lost” as a redshirt freshman, playing in only four games due to hamstring and ankle injuries in 2015 when OU advanced to the CFP. The following season, Bolton played 12 games, primarily on special teams, but also had 11 tackles and one tackle-for-loss.

Then came the abbreviated 2017 season.

“Curtis was worth every fight,” Kish said of mentoring Bolton to help him overcome all his adversities. “He's not a quitter, never has been. He's gone through some tough things in his life. He's been going through some tough things while he's been here at college, but he's persevered through all of it. I give him all the credit for staying with it.”

"These coaches are so great and they put us in great positions to succeed on the field, succeed for life and succeed for our future."
? Curtis Bolton

Which brings us to this season, and so far Bolton and sophomore middle linebacker Kenneth Murray are in a friendly competition to see who becomes the Sooners' tackling leader. Murray set an FBS record (since at least 2000) with 28 tackles last Saturday against Army while Bolton added 23 himself, setting a single-game combined record total of 51.

As a result, Murray now leads Bolton 47-46 in total tackles, although Bolton leads 16-14 in unassisted tackles. Murray also leads 5.0-4.0 in tackles-for-loss and 2.0-1.5 in sacks.

As well as this season has gone, Bolton insists he is not above criticism. He proclaimed one of his favorite moments came when former All-American and eight-year NFL linebacker Curtis Lofton paid a visit.

“All the inside linebackers were watching film,” Bolton said. “All I was hearing all week was how good I was doing. That's good to hear and all, but I need to know what I need to fix... Obviously, I'm doing something I don't need to be doing. It was good to have a guy like that come in ? a legend here, highly respected.”

Lofton picked apart Burton's performance against UCLA. “When he said something, I was writing it down,” Bolton said. “He didn't focus on any of the good. I told him, ?Be brutally honest with me. I'm not a sensitive person. I like constructive criticism.'?And he was brutally honest with me.

“There's a lot of smart people in this profession. I just kept my mouth closed and my ears open and tried to soak up all the knowledge I can, all the criticism I can and come into the season as best I could. I'm going to do what got me here and hopefully that carries me throughout this season.”

Curtis Bolton