Patriots HBCU Draft Pick Isaiah Bolden Agrees With Deion Sanders '1,000%'
Newly-minted New England Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden is looking to leave his past behind while acknowledging the significance of his professional arrival.
Bolden, a Jackson State alum, was the lone selection from a Historically Black College/University among the 2023 NFL Draft's 259 picks over the weekend, going to New England with the 245th overall choice. His college coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders expressed disappointment that Bolden was the only choice from an HBCU, saying he was "ashamed" that other teams opted not to explore such a talent pool.
The incoming rookie appreciated Sanders' words, telling his former coach he "loved" him and that he "knew what to do."
Bolden sought to close the book on the relative debate on Monday while making it clear that his former head coach's words nonetheless had merit.
"Only time I’ll speak on this, I agree 1000% with (Sanders') statement," Bolden said on Twitter. "(I'm) beyond thankful for the opportunity to be selected by the Patriots, let's get to work."
Before he took the head coaching job at Pac-12 Colorado, Sanders is said to have shifted the paradigm of college football by luring elite recruited talents to Jackson State over major Football Bowl Subdivision competition. Bolden, for example, originally played at Sanders' alma mater of Florida State before transferring to Jackson State, one of several to make the transition.
Bolden faces a bit of an uphill battle to make the New England roster, though his family is well-versed in Patriot affairs: his cousin Brandon, currently with the Las Vegas Raiders, spent his first six NFL seasons in Foxboro (2012-17) and won two Super Bowls with the team. The younger Bolden is expected to compete for a secondary spot on the team and has also proven capable of contributing on special teams.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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