Isaiah Bolden took a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to play for Deion Sanders. It led him to the Patriots.
"I believed in his mission and believed in his goals," Bolden said. "He had a blueprint for me ..."
Around three years ago, Isaiah Bolden took a phone call that changed the trajectory of his football career.
Deion Sanders, the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback who had just been hired as Jackson State’s head football coach at the time, was on the other line.
Bolden was coming off of his redshirt-freshman season at Sanders’s alma mater, Florida State. He played in 13 games and made one start that season.
But, the FSU coaching staff wanted him to make a position change.
“At the time, I really wanted to play corner instead of receiver,” Bolden said. “That was pretty much really it. I just bet on myself. Coach [Mike] Norvell and his staff, they wanted me to play receiver and they’re great guys. They’re rising right now, but I just bet on myself.”
So, he decided to transfer to Jackson State and learn the cornerback position from Sanders, one of the best players to ever do it.
“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 [historically black colleges and universities]. That was a big thing for me.”
Playing for Prime Time
Sanders’s message resonated, not just with Bolden, but with a number of highly-ranked prospects.
According to 247Sports, Jackson State’s 2021 recruiting class finished in the top-60 nationally, ahead of several FBS schools including Arizona State, TCU, and Wake Forest. The following year, in 2022, Sanders landed five-star cornerback Travis Hunter, who was the No. 1 overall prospect in the country.
Those kinds of results are unheard of at an FCS school in the modern era.
“You’re talking about one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player to ever put on pads and play the game of football in [Sanders],” said T.C. Taylor, who was promoted to Jackson State head coach after Sanders left for Colorado. “If I’m a defensive back, there’s no one I’d rather be coached by, and learn the tricks of the trade of the position from, than Deion Sanders … “
“Anytime you have an opportunity to play for Coach Prime, especially in the secondary, that chance only comes once in a lifetime,” said Taylor.
Bolden spent his time at Jackson State soaking up knowledge from Sanders.
“He molded me into a pro and he’s raw,” Bolden said. “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.”
Bolden averaged 36.9 yards per kick return in 2021, which led the entire country amongst players at both FBS and FCS schools. His two kick return touchdowns tied for the FCS lead.
And, as a 6-foot-2, 205-pound cornerback who ran a hand-timed 4.31 in the 40-yard dash at Jackson State’s Pro Day, he showed a mix of size, length, and speed.
The Patriots selected Bolden in the seventh-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the only player from an HBCU taken this year.
Sanders blasted the NFL at the time, tweeting that he was “ashamed” to see so few HBCU players selected and that he thought Bolden should have been drafted much higher.
“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.”
A new chapter in a rich history
While there’s been a struggle to get exposure and top recruits over the past few decades, Jackson State has been producing NFL talent long before Sanders ever stepped foot on campus.
JSU had a pair of first-round picks (Sylvester Morris and Rashard Anderson) in the 2000 NFL Draft. The Tigers also have four Pro Football Hall-of-Famers, including legendary running back Walter Payton. Seven-time Pro Bowler Jackie Slater, the father of Patriots’ special teams ace Matthew Slater, is one of them.
“It’s great to see HBCUs getting the attention that I think they deserve,” Matthew Slater said.” There’s so much rich history there. You look at the trajectory of those schools and it’s sad now that they don’t get the players that they used to get. I understand why that’s the case, but those schools mean so much to our community. They mean so much to our history.
“It’s great that they’re starting to get the attention that they deserve, obviously it’s great having Isaiah here,” Slater continued. “I know if you asked my parents, they wouldn’t be who they are without that school. So many of our family friends and family have been there and to other HBCUs. They play such a pivotal role in who we are as a people and our past. I think it’s great to celebrate.”
Taylor, who is now coaching at his alma mater, was in a similar position to Bolden two decades ago. He joined the Patriots as an undrafted free-agent receiver in 2002 and spent a few months on the practice squad.
Despite its football history, there were quite a few people in Foxborough who had never heard of Jackson State.
“I can remember coming into camp and I had to tell numerous people where Jackson State was located,” Taylor said. “People around the city were asking me: HBCU, what is that? Where is that located? I never heard of that school. Well, I’m going to make you remember based on my performance on the field.”
Bolden has a similar approach now as he goes through training camp with the Patriots.
“It feels good,” Bolden said. “I’m happy for the opportunity, and pretty much getting my confidence up. A lot of people think I shouldn’t be on this level. I say otherwise.”
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