Denver Broncos rookie Garett Bolles has recently earned the title of starting left tackle for the Broncos first preseason matchup against the Chicago Bears on Thursday. Who’s the first person that comes to mind when the young offensive tackle thinks about how he got to the top of the list? No one other than mentor, brother in football and, as Bolles calls him, the “Chinese Dragon,” Von Miller.
“You know, Von Miller, he revolutionized the defensive end / outside linebacker position because of how versatile he is. I call him a Chinese Dragon because of how he moves and everything like that, but he’s just a great friend and great mentor to have and I couldn’t be more blessed. Having him at practice and having that speed – nobody’s like that off the ball. But we have a great conference – we have the best league – the AFC West, which has the best pass rushers in the world. I’m going to have my hands full for sure, but you know just learning from Von Miller every single day, watching what he does on the field and his film, I’m going to be ready to roll.”
Bolles spoke with Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro of AM 1340 | FM 104.7 the morning he was named the starter against Chicago in the preseason opener about just how much Miller has helped.
The Super Bowl 50 MVP, Miller, was Bolles’ first future teammate to reach out to him when he was drafted. Going all the way back to NFL Draft night at the end of April, Miller has been giving the rookie some encouraging words Since that night Bolles and Miller have turned their relationship from strangers to a brotherhood.
“Having the best player in the world come to you as a rookie getting drafted on draft night back in April, and him reaching out to you before anyone else, we talked and he said ‘You continue to work. We’re excited to have you.’ We’re really talking and our relationship started off with just saying, ‘Hi,’ and it eventually got to the brother relationship you always want as a teammate. He calls me, he texts me, we FaceTime.”
Outside of practice Bolles is constantly working to perfect his craft. Getting the help from more experienced players like Miller and OLB Shane Ray, who constantly give him pointers on how to improve during their private film sessions, Bolles says is what has challenged him to get even better.
“I feel very good where I am at, you know. I definitely got people like Shane Ray, Von Miller – all those guys on defense who push me every single day. I have a great relationship with Von Miller and Shane Ray and they watch my film and watch my reps and they tell me, ‘Hey man, you gotta keep your shoulders square,’ or ‘You gotta keep your hands up.’ I’m just starting to pick it up. Working with [Von] every single day in practice on the fundamentals of football really has helped me. I mean, I’ve learned so much these last couple weeks and the months I’ve been here just having that relationship with Von he’s just such a great leader and he leads our team for a reason.”
Listen to the full interview with Bolles, including his thoughts on being in the starting lineup when he attends his first-ever NFL game, in the podcast below.
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Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado Sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.
Featured Image Credit: Ryan Greene, 5280 Sports Network
