In 2010, Rob Bolden became the first true freshman to start a season-opener at quarterback for Penn State in 100 years. He threw two touchdowns against Youngstown State that day, delivering Joe Paterno career victory No. 395 as head coach of the Nittany Lions.
Fast forward three seasons. A lot has changed for everyone involved.
Penn State has since vacated that victory — along with 110 more, including every win Bolden ever started, as part of the punishment for the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal — and Bolden, now a fifth-year senior at LSU, is trying to find his way off the bench for the first time in two years by making the switch to wide receiver.
Even without taking a single snap under center so far this spring, Bolden maintains he could still play quarterback at the Division I level, if given the opportunity. But because of how low he had fallen on the depth chart heading into spring practice, he knew he’d have to look elsewhere for playing time.
“I knew [sophomore] Anthony Jennings and [freshman] Brandon Harris were going to be getting the snaps at quarterback, and I just wanted to get on the field,” Bolden said. “I think I’m athletic enough to do it, plus it’s a position we need depth in.”
If a situation ever arises when LSU needs him at quarterback, Bolden said he’ll be ready. Until that day, Bolden’s story will continue to be a setback-laden one that’s taken him from promising freshman at one national powerhouse to an afterthought at another, all the while trying to press the reset button on his college career.
After injuries and inconsistent play cost him his starting job down the stretch of his freshman season, Bolden tried to leave Happy Valley before the 2011 season, but stuck around because Paterno denied his transfer request.
“I believe they saw the potential for him to get better, so they didn’t want him to leave,” said Bolden’s father, Robert Bolden Sr. “They valued him being there and he got playing time that next season, so it kind of worked out.”
One year later, he received a chance to leave when NCAA sanctions handed down as punishment for the Sandusky scandal offered all Penn State players the opportunity to transfer anywhere without having to sit out a season heading into the 2012 season. With the program staring down the barrel of years of postseason bans and scholarship reductions, Bolden was one of many to go elsewhere when given the chance.
As word hit the papers he was still open to a change, LSU coach Les Miles and his staff restarted the pursuit that began when Bolden was a highly touted prospect on the outskirts of Detroit.
The opportunity to work with Miles and quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe, who recruited Bolden heavily during his tenure as head coach at Louisville, proved enticing enough to lure the Michigan man down to the bayou.
“Everything made sense to come down here,” Bolden said. “Then I took my official visit and liked it. I loved my teammates and the people around me, and it was a lot different than the minus-11 degree weather I grew up with in Detroit.”
Bolden served as one of the backups to Zach Mettenberger during his first season, but ultimately accepted a redshirt after a knee injury ended his season.
Later that offseason, Kragthorpe, the coach who helped recruit Bolden to Baton Rouge one season earlier, downshifted to an administrative role after the hiring of offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Cam Cameron.
Kragthorpe was originally hired to fill both positions in January 2011, but had to resign as offensive coordinator after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Unfortunately for Bolden, the knee injury prevented him from taking part in the following spring practice.
Unable to make an early impression on the new head of LSU’s offense, Bolden got lost in the shuffle and was relegated to relative anonymity last season, after Cameron elevated Jennings to backup quarterback as a true freshman.
Stephen Rivers, another veteran quarterback unseated by Jennings last spring, announced earlier this spring he plans to transfer after graduating in May to pursue a more immediate opportunity to compete for playing time. As a senior, Bolden could transfer again if he wanted to do the same.
He’s adamant the thought never crossed his mind.
“I made my decision to come to LSU, and I’m going to stick with it,” Bolden said. “There’s no way to know how everything would have played out if I would have stayed or went somewhere else, so there’s no reason to think about it. My decision is my decision, and I’m happy with it.”
With 17 starts under his belt, Bolden is far-and-away the most experienced quarterback on LSU’s roster. And despite being passed over again for a group of signal callers who have combined to play fewer quarters of collegiate football than he has wins — although technically, he has none — Bolden insists he has been given a fair shake and enjoyed his time at LSU.
And for the father who tried to help him transfer out of Penn State because of concerns about playing time, that’s all that matters.
“I haven’t talked to any coaches as to what Rob’s status is there, but I talked to him and he’s happy,” Bolden Sr. said. “He’s had great experiences at LSU. He made his decision and has stuck by it, and I support him fully.”
The consummate team player, Bolden harbors no ill-will toward the underclassmen who have pushed him further from his days as starting quarterback of one of the nation’s most storied programs. Jennings said the veteran has taken time from learning his new position to offer advice and guidance, both on football and life.
“I just try to give them my experience,” Bolden said. “I’ve been through a ton, going from school to school and dealing with different staffs. I try to help them out with whatever I can because there really isn’t anything I haven’t done.”
“My decision is my decision, and I’m happy with it.”
A year after transferring from Penn State to LSU, senior quarterback Rob Bolden remains on the sideline.
