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.