By James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Kyle Bolin's playing days were beginning to appear behind him.

A call earlier this week changed that.

The former Rutgers and Louisville quarterback has signed a deal with Alliance Atlanta, one of the franchises set to begin play early next year in the upstart Alliance of American Football's inaugural season. Bolin's deal was finalized Thursday.

"I heard a little bit about the league being developed in the summer, and Mike (Celli, Bolin's Long Branch-based agent) mentioned it to me as an option if the opportunity as there," Bolin told NJ Advance Media. "I got a call from the GM (Middletown native Billy Devaney) on Monday, and he just told me he'd heard a lot of great things about me, told me a little bit about the team, who the coach was going to be, a little bit about what they're trying to do with the league, in terms of developing players that may have the talent to play in the NFL, but need a little pit stop for a year or two.

“My blood started getting a little hot again. I was getting fired up with the thought of playing. When he offered me the contract, I jumped right on it and told him I’d love to do that.”

Don't Edit

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Bolin is currently working with the Rutgers coaching staff in a player development role. He is expected to stay with the team for most of the season. The Atlanta team, which has hired former Vikings coach and Eagles assistant Brad Childress as its coach, will have a minicamp at some point in November, but players don't report to training camp until January. The 10-game AAF season will begin after the Super Bowl in February.

Bolin is the third known former Rutgers player to sign with the centrally-owned eight-team league. Running back Josh Hicks signed with Alliance Memphis, while defensive end Myles Nash will play for Alliance San Diego.

The AAF is the latest football league to attempt to find a foothold during the NFL offseason. Most leagues have failed before it, but many believe the AAF, which will begin with four teams located in the Southeast and four in the Southwest, could be different.

Don't Edit

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The AAF is designed to be a developmental league that prepares players for the NFL – most of the coaches and executives involved in the league have professional ties – and allows them to move there quickly with a contract system that is less restrictive than the deals players must sign to play in Canada. The league also appears to be on solid ground, with a television deal in place and what seems to be a long-term plan.

“From what I’ve been told and the research I’ve gathered, there’s a bunch of talent in the United States that maybe goes through training camp, they like the kid a lot, but there’s a couple of veterans in front of him,” Bolin said.

“An NFL team releases him, unfortunately no one else picks them up and they’re out of the game for a year or two, not working out as hard as they need to be. They possibly get in trouble, or just decide to start a new career. Or they’re lost to the Canadian Football League.”

Don't Edit

Tim Hawk | For NJ.com

Bolin made the decision to pursue a professional career in January after an up-and-down year as a graduate transfer player for the Scarlet Knights. Bolin won the starting job in the summer and was voted a team captain months after joining the program, but he was benched after five games and did not play in the second half of the year.

After spending time in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, following the end of the season, Bolin committed to keep pursuing the NFL. He returned to New Jersey, hired Celli and worked with quarterback trainer Tony Racioppi, a former two-time Division III All-American for Rowan, at TEST Football Academy in Martinsville.

Bolin said he thinks it's the best decision he's ever made. He was able to impress NFL scouts during strong pro day showings at Kentucky and Rutgers, earning a rookie minicamp tryout with the Eagles. But he was not offered a contract by the Super Bowl champions, putting his playing career back into doubt.

Bolin always planned to coach after his playing days were over – he attended the national coaches convention this year to begin networking – and he decided to focus on that goal after speaking with Rutgers coach Chris Ash.

Don't Edit

Chris Faytok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

“When the door seemed like it was closing, I wanted to get a jump start on my coaching career. I was so thankful for coach Ash having a position for me, because it was late in the game,” Bolin said.

“When I got the word the Eagles weren’t going to take me on, obviously it hurt, and I thought this might be the end of it. I got into coaching, and being around all these guys, seeing them go through training camp, has really fired me back up and make me miss it even more. When I got the call, it just put a huge smile on my face.”

Bolin said he now has the “best situation.” He’s able to work with Ash, offensive coordinator John McNulty and the coaching staff to learn more about the game and how recruiting operates in preparation for his planned coaching career while also continuing to train with Racioppi at TEST and utilizing Rutgers’ facilities ahead of another chance at a professional career.

“What I’m so excited about is that I get to put on film everything I’ve changed and worked on,” Bolin said.

“I’ve gone back and watched my film from Louisville and Rutgers. Yeah, I made some plays and some good throws, but I’ve changed so much in my motion and fundamentals after working with Tony. I was able to showcase that in my pro days, local days and Philadelphia’s minicamp, but now I get the opportunity to actually put it on film and let them see the new and improved Kyle Bolin.”

Here’s a closer look at the AAF ahead of its February 2019 launch:

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

WHAT IS THE AAF?

The American Alliance of Football is a new league set to launch after the Super Bowl. Training camp for the league opens in January. A 10-week season then begins February.

The AAF aspires to establish itself as an offseason league that serves as an unofficial "Triple-A" league of sorts for the NFL.

Don't Edit

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The eight-team, centrally-owned league will four franchises located in the Southeast (Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis and Orlando) and four in the Southwest (Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and San Diego).

The league has a television deal with CBS, an intriguing salary and benefits structure – reported three-year, $250,000 contracts with a bonus system and the ability to break the deal for NFL opportunities – and plenty of notable names behind it.

Filmmaker Charlie Ebersol, the son of retired NBC Sports executive Dick Ebersol, and Pro Football Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian are the public faces of the league, with several former NFL stars serving as consultants, including former Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. Dick Ebersol, who helped found the old XFL - the new version, scheduled to begin in 2020, will be an AAF competitor - is also a consultant.

Don't Edit

BIG NAME COACHES:

Childress is just one of several notable head coaches expected to lead an AAF team. The others:

• Birmingham: Former Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis

• Memphis: Pro Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary

• Orlando: Former NFL, college coach Steve Spurrier

Don't Edit

Wire photo

• Phoenix: Former college coach Rick Neuheisel

• Salt Lake City: Former NFL, college coach Dennis Erickson

• San Antonio: Former NFL, college coach Mike Riley

• San Diego: Former Rams coach Mike Martz

Don't Edit

Will Rutgers finally have a big-play offense again under John McNulty?

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.