Omar Bolden is facing adversity on the football field for the first time.
After a 2007 season in which he was named a Freshman All-American by numerous publications, the sophomore cornerback has had to endure struggles early in 2008.
After getting beat on several plays late in ASU’s loss to UNLV on Sept. 13, he was also victimized by Georgia’s A.J. Green the following week.
“The past couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking too much,” he said. “I haven’t really been playing.”
Bolden said he knew it wouldn’t always be easy.
“There’s going to be ups and downs, smiles and frowns,” Bolden said. “Everybody has their down time and I have had mine for the past three weeks.”
The tough-to-take experience is something new for Bolden, who starred at Colony High School in Ontario, Calif.
There, football came easy, but Bolden is finding out better competition breeds increased challenges.
“In high school, there weren’t too many standout [players],” Bolden said. “In college, everyone stands out and there are good players at every position. This is actually the first time I have really faced some adversity.”
One of ASU’s top recruits of the 2007 class, Bolden played running back in high school in addition to playing defensive back.
Bolden amassed over 2,000 rushing yards as a senior and had 26 touchdowns, but when he came to ASU he was told his home would be on the other side of the ball.
He made the initial adjustment quickly.
After injuries to other players thrust him onto the field, Bolden became a starter in ASU’s fifth game of the season, a position he would not relinquish.
Coach Dennis Erickson shares the confidence Bolden has in himself.
“The reaction I see from guys like [Bolden] is that they come back [after struggling] and get better and better,” Erickson said. “He’s just so competitive and every player I’ve [coached] like that has reacted the same way.”
Bolden said he believes his performance will improve.
“It’s something that you can almost feel,” Bolden said. “You can kind of feel a difference in the way you practice, the energy level and just the atmosphere.”
Bolden said he has also enjoyed rising to a challenge.
In fact, since Bolden began playing football in the seventh grade, he has been in constant search for one.
In high school, Bolden met up with top players from nearby schools to practice.
“When you bring all those elite athletes together, you compete and you learn how to get that competitive attitude,” he said.
Bolden’s current backfield mate, senior safety Troy Nolan, is well aware of Bolden’s confidence and talent but said he has seen the sophomore get down on himself.
“I just tell him to stay positive and keep focused,” Nolan said. “You just have to keep battling out there and play every play like it’s your last.”
Reach the reporter at nicholas.kosmider@asu.edu.
