Mizzou football’s best player declares for the NFL Draft, won’t play in bowl game
The Missouri Tigers’ best player and heart of the defense has played the last snap of his Mizzou career.
MU linebacker Nick Bolton announced Monday he is forgoing remaining eligibility and putting his name into consideration for the 2021 NFL Draft. Bolton said he won’t play in Mizzou’s Music City Bowl against No. 15 Iowa on Dec. 30.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for giving me an opportunity to play football and receive an education at the University of Missouri,” Bolton wrote in a statement on Twitter. “I’m grateful for Coach (Barry) Odom and Coach (Ryan Walters) for believing in me and my abilities to play at this level.
“Thank you coach (Eliah) Drinkwitz for allowing me to lead our football team and molding me into a better person. I want to thank coach (Vernon) Hargreaves and coach (DJ) Smith for pushing me to be a better play. In addition, I want to thank strength staffs, nutrition, athletic trainers and teammates for making this experience special. Most importantly, I would like to thank my parents Jalunda and Carlos for the sacrifices they made for me to be in this position.”
Bolton is projected to be a first round pick after proving his worth at the college level. While the knock on him is that he’s undersized at 6-foot, 232 pounds — similar criticisms coming out of high school — Bolton flourished in his role at weak-side linebacker for the Tigers.
Bolton burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2019 after fellow starting linebacker Cale Garrett went down for the season. Bolton earned All-SEC and All-America honors and was poised to have a stellar 2020 campaign. He stood up to that task, leading MU with 95 tackles and was in consideration for the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award.
The linebacker is the second Mizzou player in the past two days to declare for the draft. MU offensive lineman Larry Borom will also skip the bowl game and remaining eligibility to prepare for the draft.
Bolton, a junior, got to say his good-byes to Faurot Field and Mizzou during Senior Day festivities. While Bolton hadn’t made a decision at that point, the team allowed him to be celebrated in case he did declare. He’ll go down as one of the best linebackers to play at Mizzou after a stellar collegiate career.
“After prayer and conversation with my family, I’ve decided to forego my senior season and will not be participating in the bowl game,” Bolton said. “I’m excited to chase my childhood dream and start preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft. I’m proud to be a True Son! It’s been more than an honor to represent the University of Missouri!”
This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 12:43 PM.