By Christy Cabrera Chirinos

HurricaneSports.com



CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For Bubba Bolden, the agonizing wait is almost over.



When the Hurricanes return to Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 5 for their ACC home opener against Virginia Tech, Bolden will put on a game-day uniform for the first time in 636 days.



The former high school All-American will run through Miami’s famed smoke and take the field knowing that against the Hokies, he’ll have the opportunity to make a play that counts, officially. For the first time since arriving in Coral Gables, he’ll be doing more than helping the Hurricanes prepare for an opponent as a member of the scout team.



On that day, Bolden will be trying to help Miami win a critical Coastal Division game.



“I was thinking about it the other night, what it will feel like,” Bolden said. “There’s going to be a lot of emotions. Coming out of that tunnel, seeing everybody. I’ve been on the sideline the past few weeks, but getting to play again, having that opportunity again. I’m just blessed.”



Over the course of the last 21 months, there were times Bolden wondered about his future.



Months after he’d finished his freshman season at the University of Southern California, Bolden found himself involved in an incident at an off-campus party.



He acknowledges words were exchanged. Mistakes were made. In August 2018, Bolden was suspended, indefinitely, from the Trojans football team. In October, the safety shared on social media he was withdrawing from USC after the school said he violated the student code of conduct and was thus, suspended for 28 months.



Though USC would later re-instate Bolden, the safety opted for a fresh start, one that eventually came at Miami, where he enrolled this past summer.



But before he could become a Hurricane, Bolden had to prove himself to Miami’s coaches, including former head coach Mark Richt, coach Manny Diaz and safeties coach Ephraim Banda.



His longtime friend and former high school teammate Brevin Jordan urged Miami’s coaches to give Bolden a chance. Both USC football coach Clay Helton and former athletic director Lynn Swann vouched for him to Miami’s staff. And in his conversations with Banda, Bolden pulled no punches in sharing the details from the party, his honesty earning the coach’s respect.



The support, Bolden said, meant everything.



“Brevin is like my little brother. I’ve known him since we were little kids. We played Pop Warner together, all the way up through high school. He had my back through everything, getting me here, putting in a good word for me,” Bolden said. “And Coach Helton, I’ve got the most respect for him. I’ll forever be grateful to him for the opportunity he gave me. Lynn Swann had my back, too, with everything. They helped me out through the whole process there, even though it didn’t go my way. They’re still, to this day, so supportive. … I’ve got love for all of them.”



By December, Bolden had a scholarship offer from Miami. In January, just days after Diaz was named Miami’s new coach, Bolden announced he was committing to the Hurricanes.



One hurdle in his return to football was cleared. Another still loomed.



Though he had been taking classes since leaving USC, Bolden knew that to enroll at Miami and be eligible to play this season, he had to earn an associate degree.



Doing that required accruing nearly 40 credit hours in the span of 12 months. He’d made significant progress on that front already, taking classes at both the College of Southern Nevada and El Camino College in Southern California after leaving USC.



Now, though, he knew for certain he had to finish before August. That meant stepping up his efforts in a big way, something the redshirt sophomore was willing to do.



His future coaches at Miami took notice of the effort Bolden was showing, both in the classroom and on his own in the weight room to stay in football shape.



“For him to do that, for anybody to do that, to load up on that many hours so you can get an associate degree and be immediately eligible, I’ve never seen it before. It’s very, very hard to do,” Banda said. “But what that allowed him to do is that now, he’s got three years to play. His mother and his family did an amazing job communicating with the NCAA and all the different schools about what classes he needed, what would transfer, what would qualify for his degree. … When you go through something like that, that’s hard for anybody. I think he’s really matured and when he finally steps on the field, he won’t be a sophomore. In a sense, he’ll be more like a junior or a senior. He understands the importance of every little detail and how important it is to do the right thing on and off the field.”



Said Diaz, “He’s had to work really hard. Obviously, he had an unfortunate incident. But those things don’t have to define who you are. We always tell our guys, whether it’s on the field or in life, you always have an opportunity to choose how you respond to adversity and just the way life works, normally, hard work is always a great choice. It normally solves a lot of problems. Bubba’s put a lot of hard work into getting himself to where he can be back on the field.”



It didn’t take long for Bolden to find himself back on the practice field once he arrived at Miami, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety at times even serving as a scout team receiver to help his fellow defensive backs hone their skills.



Now, it’s time to take the next step by playing in his first game since December 2017.

His parents, Breezy and Marcus Bolden will be at Hard Rock next weekend to see him take the field. So, too, will his grandmother. Every expectation is that it will be an emotional moment, especially because during those first months after he left USC, Bolden wasn’t sure if he’d ever have the chance to play college football again.



Now, after being away from the game as long as he has, he’s not taking anything for granted.



“I want to be great. I want our team to be great,” Bolden said. “I’m just really looking forward to next week, just coming out there and doing it.”

Added Breezy Bolden with a laugh, “We’re so proud of him, not only for his ambition, but the follow-through. I think this journey has heightened his sense of self-awareness. He’s thought, ‘Let me work extra hard and prove myself. Let me show I’m not what you think I am. … He’s writing a new chapter at Miami and from now on, I only want to talk about his legacy at Miami, him getting his degree at Miami. They’ve given him a whole new opportunity.”