Jaguars FB Brock Bolen Was Trained With Military Precision

[Richard]

FYI - Jim Bolen was in CCS 67-69 and the 1-0 RT AUGER.

Richard

Jaguars FB Brock Bolen Was Trained With Military Precision
Florida Times Union, 5 Aug 2010

He describes it casually and talks about it easily.

In the late 1970s, after fighting in the Vietnam War as a Green Beret and after serving as a bodyguard for Larry Flynt, among others, Jim Bolen returned to killing.

He sent his resume to the Rhodesian government and landed a job as a mercenary. Bolen protected the Rhodesian border (a region that is now Zimbabwe) from terrorists who would murder villagers at night, crossing in from Mozambique.

"They had the rule you weren't supposed to kill anybody during the day time," Jim Bolen said. "[The terrorists] didn't cross during the day, anyway; they would cross during the night."

He has photos of the men he killed during that time in his office near Louisville, Ky. There also he displays awards he won through his military service and, of course, photos of his two grown children: his daughter Stephanie and son, Jaguars fullback Brock Bolen.

This was the man who trained Brock Bolen, who put together a workout regimen for him when he was in third grade. That's when Brock told his family he wanted to play in the NFL when he grew up.

"They never forced me to do the extra work or forced me to play football. They just said if you are going to do it, you have to work at it," Brock said. "And if you are going to be one of the best, you have to work at it."

Brock Bolen is now a 6-foot, 233-pound fullback in his second training camp with the Jaguars. He spent most of last season on the team's practice squad and was activated to the 53-man roster for the final three games.

His work ethic made him stand out through OTAs and training camp.

"I don't want to say too much too early and all that kind of stuff, but Brock has done a masterful job," Jaguars running backs coach Earnest Byner said. " ... He's a smart guy, he's intelligent and he has the athletic ability. ... With what he's doing, Brock is earning a lot of respect from his teammates and the coaches."

Football didn't run in the Bolen family, but fearless effort and fight did.

The story of their father's background was well known. As children, Brock and Stephanie would constantly ask to hear war stories.

They were popular among friends and neighbors, too. Jim thinks back on those days fondly, and still remembers the first men he ever killed.

"Three guys came across the trail with their weapons, AK-47s," Jim Bolen recalled. "It took them a second to respond. I knew who they were; they weren't sure who I was. ... I just fired from the hip fully automatic and put about three rounds in each one of them."

But he left that life behind in the late 1970s, as he neared 40, to start a family. He hadn't wanted children, but grew captivated by his once they were born.

And Jim didn't want his son to follow his path.

"I wanted to [enlist], but I know my dad said he's done enough fighting for our family," Brock said.

It was all football for Brock.

"I told him there are certain things he has to do," Jim said. "One of the things is when all the other kids are sitting around the house playing Nintendo, he had to be out running the steps."

He wasn't allowed to lift weights until he was 15, but started running steps at eight years old. His parents bought tackling dummies for him to practice on in the backyard. Sometimes they would dress up Stephanie, an all-star cheerleader, in a helmet and shoulder pads and have Brock try to tackle her. She was bigger and stronger than Brock back then and often got him before he could get her.

Brock didn't complain about all the extra work — that just wasn't who he was. That trait remains today.

Consequently, he was a star in high school. He was named the nation's top high school fullback his senior year, then played college football at Illinois and Louisville. The Jaguars picked him up as a rookie free agent last spring.

His family remains close — they still talk on the phone every day.

Brock and his father have talked about life after football, because that time comes for every player. But for now his dream — their dream — is still alive.

"I mean, some days I feel like I'll make [the team]," Brock said. "Some days I feel like I won't. I'm just kind of controlling what I can control, and that's myself, really."

http://jacksonville.com/sports/footb...tary-precision

[Green Light]

Sounds like an odd guy.