DENVER — In a testament to his strong play and durability, and also a surprise to just about everyone including the team record keepers, Garett Bolles is closing in on starting more games at left tackle than any other blind side blocker in Broncos history.
Bolles, the Broncos’ first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, will make his 90th career start Sunday, all at the left tackle position. That puts him 7th all-time among Broncos offensive tackles and third among left tackles.
Only Ryan Clady (98) and Claudie Minor (95) have more starts at left tackle than Bolles. And if he starts every game the rest of the 2023 season, he will be No. 1 on the left tackle start list with 99.
Broncos offensive tackle starts
1, Ken Lanier, 165 (1981-92, ’94)
2, Matt Lepsis, 133 (1997-2007, 54 Left Tackle)
3. *Dave Studdard, 133 (1979-88, 80 Left Tackle)
4. *Claudie Minor, 123 (1974-82), 95 Left Tackle)
5. Mike Current, 105 (1967-75)
6. *Ryan Clady, 98 (2008-15)
7. *Garett Bolles, 89 (2017-present)
8. *Gary Zimmerman, 76 (1993-97)
9. Eldon Danenhauer, 72 (1960-65)
10. Orlando Franklin, 63 (2011-14)
*Primarily played left tackle.
Who’d a thunk that as Bolles was starting 1 through 16 games of his career, or 17 through 32 – or start No. 34, when he drew four holding calls while trying to block the Bears’ Khalil Mack, incited boos from the home crowd?
In an interview with 9NEWS this week for the Broncos Huddle, Bolles was asked what a 31-year-old, seventh-year pro Garett Bolles would tell himself as a 25-year-old rookie.
“Just keep your head down and work,’’ Bolles said. “Earlier in my career I let the spotlight, or the fans and the hatefulness get to me just a little bit. I’m the type of person, I love everybody. I genuinely do. I have a big heart for everybody. So when people talk bad about me, it reflects me.
“I think over the years as I’ve grown, my mom and dad always taught me to control what I can control. I took some mental classes that really helped my mental game. I knew my athletic ability, and understanding the offense, and understanding what it means to be a left tackle in the National Football League, I knew that was going to come.
“But I knew my mental was the most important and when I focused on my mental and created the GB Zone, that’s really what helped me. Just that small little switch when I’m down and I need some juice, I just say that to myself and I know exactly what I need to do.”
Last week against the Packers, Bolles received high marks from Pro Football Focus, which is about the only preeminent website for grading offensive linemen. Bolles has periodically expressed frustration that there has yet to be a winning season in his seven years with the Broncos. But is he personally satisfied with how he has played left tackle this year?
“I just focus on my game,’’ Bolles said. “I try to block out the noise as much as I can. My family may text things here and there. My wife and my brother’s all over it. He’s a doctor and those doctors are always all over those type things. Or my mom and dad may say something to me but you guys know me I’m always just focused on my craft and my game and trying to be the best left tackle I can be. Everyone knows my dreams of being the best tackle in the league and really helping this organization get back to where we belong.”
It can start Sunday with a win against the Chiefs, which would be a first for Bolles and all of his Broncos' teammates. The Chiefs’ 16-game win streak against the Broncos was three games old when Bolles was drafted. Does he look back at any of those Chiefs’ losses to study where he and the team can correct where they may have fallen short?
Or is it to the point now where he wants to forget everything about the past regarding the Chiefs and focus solely on the upcoming game?
“Some games I forget, for sure,’’ Bolles said in his deep baritone. “Some games were a lot more points towards them, and then there’s those games where the last couple years were like six points, seven points, three points, four points. I’m like, ‘Dang, we’re right there every single time.’
“I watch some film. I see where I can do better and what we can do better. And it really comes down to who wants it more. (They) have a phenomenal Hall of Fame quarterback, Pat Mahomes, the good relationship I have with him over the years. My battles with Frank Clark over the last five years. He’s not there anymore, thank goodness. I don’t have to go against him but Mike Danna, another guy in my agency so it’s fun to play the Chiefs and I look forward to it. They’ve been great battles. Great talent and that’s one of the teams where we’ve got to get the monkey off our back for sure.”
Starting with his introductory news conference in 2017, Bolles has been open about this troubled childhood. He has used his platform as a professional athlete to mentor teenagers in the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center in Arapahoe Country.
“I have a learning disability with ADHD,’’ he said. “When you start to talk about troubled teens, and when I was a troubled teen and things that they go through I was like well what can I focus on? … The magistrate came down from Douglas County. She wanted to create a program where we can help these kids because these kids were going to Foote (the detention center) and then coming out. Going back into probation, going to Foote and then coming out.
“So I was like what can we do to catch them? So we decorated a room -- I wanted these kids to come in where it wasn’t just white walls around it. Wanted it to be a place where they would feel welcome.
“I make individual videos for each kid. Give them tickets, dinner, gift card flash drive for videos. If they meet certain criteria I’ll bring in a steak dinner for them. If they get to level three I’ll buy them shoes. This past Tuesday I got to buy three kids shoes through Under Armour so it’s been a really, really neat thing for me just seeing those kids struggling and how I can relate to them.
“There is so much violence and gangs and drugs and alcohol and all those things I’ve experienced at a young age. I can reflect with them and help them find their purpose in life.’’
Bolles has already overcome much to get to where he is now, a seventh-year starting left tackle for the Broncos. And now he is just 10 starts away from becoming the all-time leader at the left tackle position.
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