Patriots' Rookie Credits Deion Sanders for NFL Journey: 'He Molded Me'
The New England Patriots made a surprising amount of headlines when they selected cornerback Isaiah Bolden with their final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bolden, who played at Jackson State, was the first and only player from a HBCU selected in this year's draft, a fact that his college coach Deion Sanders publicly lamented. Due to this distinction, Bolden entered the league with many more eyes on him than a typical seventh-round pick.
However, Bolden didn't make it to the NFL because of where he went to college; he's in the league because he can play football, and he's overcome plenty of doubts throughout his playing career.
“I’m happy for the opportunity, and pretty much getting my confidence up," Bolden told Boston.com. "A lot of people think I shouldn’t be on this level. I say otherwise.”
Bolden faced those doubts from the moment he began his college career. A four-star recruit from Jacksonville, Florida, Bolden committed to and began his college career at Florida State. After his freshman season, though, the Seminoles asked him to switch positions from cornerback to receiver, which Bolden was less than thrilled about.
So he decided to transfer to Jackson State in 2021 and learn from Sanders, who had then just accepted the Tigers' coaching role. The opportunity to learn from Sanders, arguably the best corner to ever play, was too good to pass up, and it wound up completely changing his trajectory.
“I believed in his mission and believed in his goals,” Bolden said. “He had a blueprint for me when I was in the [transfer] portal and we talked for a couple of hours. I decided to join his mission and put on for HBCUs. That was a big thing for me.
“He molded me into a pro and he’s raw. He’s going to tell you how he feels and what he sees in you and there’s no sugarcoating it. He’s just trying to get you prepared for the next level.”
While Bolden got to the NFL on his own merits, he isn't shying away from his college roots. As the only HBCU player in this year's draft, Bolden is determined to prove just what players from those schools can do.
“It’s kind of a little chip [on my shoulder],” Bolden said. “I’ve got a lot of attention for HBCUs on me right now, and I’ve kind of got that mentality of: ‘I’ve got to put on for HBCUs. Some people look down on HBCUs and I have to keep moving forward every day and just keep working.”
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