COLUMBIA, Mo. — Five minutes. That’s all the time D.J. Smith needed to realize Nick Bolton’s potential.
Shortly after he agreed to become Missouri’s linebackers coach in December 2019, Smith made his first phone call to his most important player. Bolton was coming off a breakout sophomore season that earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. Before he absorbed a minute of game film or watched a single practice, Smith understood Bolton wouldn’t be long for the college game.
“Within five minutes of the conversation I knew this dude is gonna play for a long time,” said Smith, a sixth-round draft pick in 2011 who spent parts of four seasons with four different NFL teams.