Brock's now going to be more than a Bolen ball
The Brock Bolen that University of Louisville football fans have become accustomed to seeing showed up in a practice this week.
Bolen was running the ball with defensive back Richard Raglin closing in at an angle, and the collision echoed in a way that made everyone at practice take notice.
"He hit me pretty hard," Bolen said, "but I think I might have won the battle."
Raglin, listed at 6 feet 2 and 198 pounds, didn't get up immediately as he shook off the effects of his meeting with the 6-foot 238-pounder.
Bolen promises to continue his penchant for punishing defenders, but he'll get a chance to add another dimension to his running repertoire this fall. The senior, U of L's top returning rusher with 456 yards last season, will go from a three-point stance at fullback to lining up at tailback. The adjustment, however minor, has him eyeing more carries.
"If you know the fullback position, you also have to know the running back position because there are some single-back sets and stuff like that," he said. "It's pretty much the same, but a little less blocking and a lot more carrying the ball."
That's good for U of L and bad for undersized cornerbacks when Bolen breaks loose in the secondary. Even after contact, he generally falls forward. He had only 9 yards in losses on his 88 rushing attempts last season.
"When I run the ball, I like to punish people so they don't try to hit me as hard or try to tackle me late in the game," he said.
Attrition at running back has left Bolen as the most experienced player returning in the backfield. Anthony Allen, who led the Cardinals with 696 yards rushing as a sophomore last season, transferred to Georgia Tech.
Bolen figures to start, with sophomore Bilal Powell and redshirt freshman Victor Anderson also splitting carries. Bolen likes the thought of standing upright and being able to get a clear view of the defense before the ball is snapped.
"He's handled the transition very well," offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm said. "He's a big, powerful back who can do a lot of things: catch out of the backfield, run the ball with power; he's very agile for his size; and he blocks well."
But it's his power that makes him stand out. U of L quarterback Hunter Cantwell recalled the 2006 game at Kansas State when Bolen bulldozed his way for his first rushing touchdown.
"Kansas State brought a triple blitz to the weak side, and I didn't check out of it," Cantwell said. "We ran it with Brock, and he still scored. He ran right through three blitzing guys.
"Brock is just a heck of a player; he's a tank out there. He's not going to run away. He's going to take everybody head on, and 99.9 percent of the time he wins that battle."
Bolen takes pride in his strength but wants to be viewed as a complete back. And there's a little burst behind his brawn. Just ask Rutgers. With Allen sidelined in last season's finale, Bolen rushed for 117 yards -- including a career-best 55-yard jaunt -- and two touchdowns against the Scarlet Knights.
"I'm not real fast straight ahead, but I feel I'm pretty quick," he said. "I think some people underestimate my speed sometimes."
