All Entries Tagged With: "Jeff Brohm"
Get Out Of Bolen’s Way
If there is one player who embodies what University of Louisville fans want to see from their football team this fall, it is Brock Bolen, a six-foot, 230-pound gladiator. He’s a bruiser with the physical skills and just enough quickness to punish opposing defenses. 
The news that Bolen is being switched from fullback to tailback to give him more touches this season is reason for optimism for fans who believed Bolen’s talents were not fully utilized last season. When he makes it past the line of scrimmage, he’s like a freight train. You don’t want to be the guy who gets between him and daylight.
We suspect that offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm knows what he has in Bolen, a powerful force to go with the natural instincts of Bilal Powell and the lightning speed of Victor Anderson. The tough guy will soften you up, while Hunter Cantwell is going over the top and Powell and Anderson are going around you.
Bolen, a senior, was the second leading ground gainer with 485 yards last season. He transferred to U of L from the University of Illinois after the 2004 season when the Illini fired Ron Turner and hired former Florida coach Ron Zook.
As a high school senior, he was considered the nation’s No. 1 fullback by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming for his achievements at Valley View High School where he amassed 6,099 yards rushing and scored 108 touchdowns.
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Bolen either inherited his toughness or had it pounded into him by his old man, Jim Bolen, an ex-Marine who maintains a “war room†in the family home in Spring Valley, Ohio. The room includes disturbing graphic images of enemies who crossed his path during armed conflicts. The 8,000 square-foot house also includes a fully-equipped gym, which is said to be better than most high schools, according to a Courier-Journal report.
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Don’t Get Carried Away Just Yet
All too easy, it is, for diehard University of Louisville football fans to embrace all of the enthusiastic talk from team members during the pre-season. You know, new attitude, new team chemistry, new talent, all that rah-rah talk. Things are going to be different this year, for sure.
One certainly wants to believe it, to write off last season’s 6-6 won-lost record as an aberration. One welcomes the fact that the players will have accepted Steve Kragthorpe’s system, that Kragthorpe has managed to weed out the malcontents. The players certainly seem to respect him and believe in the system, wanting to make it work, turn things around. That’s a big part of the battle, and having the talent to go with the attitude is essential.
There is talent, considerable talent, on this year’s team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The sobering fact is, however, that only seven total starters return from the offense and defense last season. The difference between raw talent and proven talent is immense.
And don’t look now but the fact is that a coaching transition continues this year, with new coaches being added in key positions on offense and defense. Jeff Brohm, as offensive coordinator, and Ron English, as the defensive coordinator, may be great coaches but with so many new players, some significant challenges (i.e., problems and opportunities) are inevitable.
Give it time to work.
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A New Pitino Book –Rick Pitino is out with another book, this one entitled, Rebound Rules, The Art Of Success 2.0, co-authored by Pat Forde. We think that means Pitino did all the talking and Forde did the writing. If there’s nothing in the book about Forde’s rebound from his suspension for his malfeasance in reporting U of L to the NCAA, that’s definitely the case. Pitino will be signing the new book this weekend at Carmichael’s Book Store, 1295 Bardtown Road, from Noon till 4 p.m. It’s a customer appreciation cookout, which probably means free food as well.
Football Coaching Carousel
Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe appears to have corralled an impressive group of assistants, with Jeff Brohm, Ron English, Ted Roof, and Ken Delgado, all with impressive career track records. Somebody once said that if you want to be a successful boss, you should hire people smarter than you. Whether that applies here is up for debate, but these coaches will sure make the boss look smarter next season.
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Anthony Allen is still looking around for a new football team today after U of L denied the request to be released from his letter of intent so he could consider Arkansas. Good. Apparently the Allen family thought U of L would seriously consider an action that would give former coach Bobby Petrino access to former recruits. Petrino must have thought so because he was undoubtedly communicating with the family. Not sneaking around, not our Bobby.
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Southern Mississippi receives this observer’s vote as a candidate for filling out U of L’s 12-game schedule next season. U of L and Southern Miss had a good rivalry going before the Cards joined the Big East. Indiana needs a game, too, but the IU administration doesn’t want a game in Bloomington where the opposition attracts more fans than the home team. Other teams needing a game include Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia Tech and Brigham Young.
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The Lady Cards’ basketball team has lost two games in a row but the fun may just be beginning. They entertain the No. 1-ranked UConn women with a 14-0 won-loss record Saturday afternoon at 4 at Freedom Hall. It’s pack the house night for U of L. Coupons for free tickets are available at all Kroger stores in Louisville Metro. The adrenaline will be flowing, be there.
