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Published: January 31, 2009 04:00 am
'Wick QB on live TV Saturday
By Dean Russin
Sports Editor
Jason Boltus said he's not out to light it up Saturday.
If the opportunity presents itself, though, he just might.
"My main objective is just to make plays and not try to do too much," said Hartwick College senior quarterback Boltus, who will compete in the Texas vs. The Nation college football showcase at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. "Obviously, I want to stay on the field as long as I can by getting first downs.
"If I get a vertical-play call and see man-to-man coverage, though, I'll sling it down there," he continued. "I've got nothing to lose here."
Hartwick coach Mark Carr said his former recruit was the only Division III player in the country to receive an invitation to the all-star game, which will be televised on CBS. Boltus, 22, is one of four quarterbacks for The Nation, and he said Friday that he'll go last in a rotation that includes D-I QBs Curtis Painter of Purdue, Rutgers' Mike Teel and Buffalo's Drew Willy.
"We'll all compete two series at a time," Boltus said. "Hopefully, I'll get as much playing time as I can possibly get, stay on the field and keep making plays."
If anything, Baldwinsville native Boltus is a playmaker.
A former redshirt at Division I-AA University of Albany, Boltus quietly amassed an NCAA D-III all-time record of 14,231 total yards over the last four seasons with the Hawks, who typically draw between 700-1,000 fans per home game.
His many awards include back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Empire 8 Conference and D3football.com (East Region), an Associated Press Little All-America selection this past season, the 2007 Melberger Award and consecutive final four appearances in voting for the Gagliardi Trophy.
The last two both claim to honor the best D-III football player in the country. His invitation to the Texas vs. The Nation game, which Boltus said will draw a crowd of 35,000-plus, may confirm that better than any award, though.
"From the feedback I got (from scouts and other football personnel), I definitely had a good week down here and showed that I belonged," Boltus said via cell phone Friday, following his final pre-game practice in El Paso. "I'm kind of making the most of it. ... I'm playing with confidence and showing my arm strength."
Carr said when the invitation-only NFL Combine rolls around in mid-February, Boltus' overall strength is likely to raise eyebrows.
"When I was coming out of college, I was invited to the Combine _ and Jason is better than I was," said Carr, a Vestal graduate who played D-IAA football at the University of New Hampshire. "He's just physical, just so strong and athletic, just mindboggling, frankly. He's going to be the strongest player there.
"Even on his worst day, he's going to shatter the bench-press record," Carr continued. "Brady Quinn set the record for quarterbacks. He benched 225 pounds 24 times. Jason's going to do it somewhere around 35-plus, which is insane.
"The strongest guy did it 32 times. Jason's going to do that. If he has a bad day, maybe 32. If he has a good day, maybe 36-37 or something. It's just off the charts. He's got a lot of talent and is very physical."
Saturday's game can only boost the stock of Boltus, the Hawks' all-time program leader in touchdown passes (134) and passing yards (13,276) who led NCAA D-III players in total offense (415.5 yards per game), points responsible for (28.8 pg), total passing yards (3,943) and passing yards per game (394.3) in 2008.
"It's a great thing for us," said Carr, who added Boltus' exposure has significantly increased the number of potential Hartwick recruits. "Everyone is impressed by it. He's very well-known, which is not surprising, but it's not really often we have a kid who's a household name. Ninety percent of our recruits know who he is."
The son of former North Carolina State football player Greg Boltus, Jason Boltus said he plans to return to Hartwick in March and will receive his diploma in May. Boltus has been training in Atlanta since Dec. 29. He is the first Hartwick player to receive an invitation to the NFL Combine, which runs Feb. 18-24 in Indianapolis. A little more than a month later, Boltus' name could be called during the NFL Draft, which runs April 25-26 in New York.
"No one's really said anything," Boltus said, referring to his chances at becoming a draft pick, "but they said I showed I belong this week."
___
Dean Russin can be reached at drussin@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 215.
'Wick QB on live TV Saturday
By Dean Russin
Sports Editor
Jason Boltus said he's not out to light it up Saturday.
If the opportunity presents itself, though, he just might.
"My main objective is just to make plays and not try to do too much," said Hartwick College senior quarterback Boltus, who will compete in the Texas vs. The Nation college football showcase at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. "Obviously, I want to stay on the field as long as I can by getting first downs.
"If I get a vertical-play call and see man-to-man coverage, though, I'll sling it down there," he continued. "I've got nothing to lose here."
Hartwick coach Mark Carr said his former recruit was the only Division III player in the country to receive an invitation to the all-star game, which will be televised on CBS. Boltus, 22, is one of four quarterbacks for The Nation, and he said Friday that he'll go last in a rotation that includes D-I QBs Curtis Painter of Purdue, Rutgers' Mike Teel and Buffalo's Drew Willy.
"We'll all compete two series at a time," Boltus said. "Hopefully, I'll get as much playing time as I can possibly get, stay on the field and keep making plays."
If anything, Baldwinsville native Boltus is a playmaker.
A former redshirt at Division I-AA University of Albany, Boltus quietly amassed an NCAA D-III all-time record of 14,231 total yards over the last four seasons with the Hawks, who typically draw between 700-1,000 fans per home game.
His many awards include back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Empire 8 Conference and D3football.com (East Region), an Associated Press Little All-America selection this past season, the 2007 Melberger Award and consecutive final four appearances in voting for the Gagliardi Trophy.
The last two both claim to honor the best D-III football player in the country. His invitation to the Texas vs. The Nation game, which Boltus said will draw a crowd of 35,000-plus, may confirm that better than any award, though.
"From the feedback I got (from scouts and other football personnel), I definitely had a good week down here and showed that I belonged," Boltus said via cell phone Friday, following his final pre-game practice in El Paso. "I'm kind of making the most of it. ... I'm playing with confidence and showing my arm strength."
Carr said when the invitation-only NFL Combine rolls around in mid-February, Boltus' overall strength is likely to raise eyebrows.
"When I was coming out of college, I was invited to the Combine _ and Jason is better than I was," said Carr, a Vestal graduate who played D-IAA football at the University of New Hampshire. "He's just physical, just so strong and athletic, just mindboggling, frankly. He's going to be the strongest player there.
"Even on his worst day, he's going to shatter the bench-press record," Carr continued. "Brady Quinn set the record for quarterbacks. He benched 225 pounds 24 times. Jason's going to do it somewhere around 35-plus, which is insane.
"The strongest guy did it 32 times. Jason's going to do that. If he has a bad day, maybe 32. If he has a good day, maybe 36-37 or something. It's just off the charts. He's got a lot of talent and is very physical."
Saturday's game can only boost the stock of Boltus, the Hawks' all-time program leader in touchdown passes (134) and passing yards (13,276) who led NCAA D-III players in total offense (415.5 yards per game), points responsible for (28.8 pg), total passing yards (3,943) and passing yards per game (394.3) in 2008.
"It's a great thing for us," said Carr, who added Boltus' exposure has significantly increased the number of potential Hartwick recruits. "Everyone is impressed by it. He's very well-known, which is not surprising, but it's not really often we have a kid who's a household name. Ninety percent of our recruits know who he is."
The son of former North Carolina State football player Greg Boltus, Jason Boltus said he plans to return to Hartwick in March and will receive his diploma in May. Boltus has been training in Atlanta since Dec. 29. He is the first Hartwick player to receive an invitation to the NFL Combine, which runs Feb. 18-24 in Indianapolis. A little more than a month later, Boltus' name could be called during the NFL Draft, which runs April 25-26 in New York.
"No one's really said anything," Boltus said, referring to his chances at becoming a draft pick, "but they said I showed I belong this week."
___
Dean Russin can be reached at drussin@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 215.
