As Michigan's football season steamrolled downhill last season, Dan Bolden saw an opportunity for his son.
Joe Bolden, U-M's then-junior middle linebacker, was amid a breakout season but his team was crumbling around him, spiraling to a 5-7 finish.
There was little senior leadership — then-coach Brady Hoke declined to elect preseason captains — so Dan Bolden told his son to keep his focus on the field and not on the rumors about Hoke's job.
When Hoke was fired after the season, there was a chance to take the lead. Joe Bolden wasn't privy to the hiring process so he had to take control of what he could, telling his father: "I'm just lifting every day, I'm running every day.