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DENVER — By a strict academic calendar, former Snow College offensive lineman Garett Bolles should be going into his second season with the University of Utah, preparing for the Utes’ season opener Thursday.
But life comes at you fast.
After flourishing in his lone season on the offensive line, earning all-Pac 12 honors and playing 891 snaps in 13 starts for the Utes, Bolles declared for the NFL draft last April — and was selected in the first round by the Denver Broncos.
Now the Lehi native has found a home just over an hour away from where he served his two-year mission for the LDS Church in Colorado Springs, starting on the offensive line through three games of the NFL preseason.
“It’s great to be here, where I served my mission,” Bolles said after a 20-17 win over Green Bay last Saturday. “Being around the people I love and around my teammates is great. I just love being here; the state of Colorado is my home and it’s always going to be my home. I’m grateful that I got to start my career here.”
Bolles’ rag-to-riches story took him from a troubled past to the streets of Lehi as a homeless 19-year-old to Snow College, then Utah, and finally the NFL. He’s inspiring people every day with his redemption, and the people of Denver are growing to love him — as well as his infant son Kingston and wife Natalie.
“Being a father is something special,” Bolles said. “It makes me wake up every day and take care of what I am doing. I’m grateful that I have the beautiful wife and son that I rely on every day when the hard days hit. They are there to support me, to give me life, and I’m grateful to have them here to support me.”
Bolles’ arrival in the Mile High City has helped refuel optimism for a Broncos team just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance — but one that missed the playoffs in 2016.
Much of the enthusiasm comes from bringing in former Utah college standouts, too. Former Utah running back Devontae Booker injured his wrist to miss the preseason, but he’s expected to be reactivated from the physically unable to perform list around the start of the season, and carried onto the 53-man roster.
“This feel was electric. These guys came off a Super Bowl, and then not making the playoffs, so I know they had a long offseason and are ready to get back,” said former Utah State wide receiver Hunter Sharp, who is trying to make the roster as a free agent. “They’re serious; all of the guys are serious about making plays and winning games.
“The culture here is great.”
Anchoring the line at left tackle, Bolles is in charge of protecting the blindside of quarterback Trevor Siemian, and paving the way for running backs like Booker, Jamaal Charles and C.J. Anderson.
It’s worked — at least in the preseason, where the Broncos are 3-0.
“I think we’ve definitely shown some potential,” Denver wide receiver Jordan Taylor said. “I think that you can see that with our starters in for a little bit, that we can definitely move the ball and do things well. It’s just going to be about being consistent and being able to do that for four quarters.”
Bolles admits to plenty of “rookie mistakes” as he prepares for his first NFL regular season. But head coach Vance Joseph has shown confidence in naming him the team’s starting left tackle, and he’s able to lean on veteran linemen like Max Garcia, Allen Barbre, Matt Paradis, Ron Leary and Menelik Watson.
“I have great dudes on the O-line,” Bolles said. “All of those guys are with me every single day. They help me, they love me, they know I can make this team better, and they are giving me everything possible to make me a better player.
“They’re my brothers, and I’ll always remember them the rest of my life.”
Right now, Bolles is focused on the upcoming NFL season, correcting those rookie mistakes and making the Broncos feel deserving of their first-round pick.
But he’s also keeping one eye on his alma mater; the Utes open the regular season Thursday against North Dakota.
“I am excited to see what they can do,” Bolles said. “My brother Jackson Barton is going to hold down that left side for me, and Tyler Huntley and Troy Williams are worms that will go after it.
“I love my boys, I miss them, and go Utes.”
