SUMMARY
- Nick Bolton has been playing for the Kansas City Chiefs since being drafted by the franchise in 2021.
- During his three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Bolton has become a standout performer.
Nick Bolton is a 23-year-old linebacker of American football. Bolton has played for the Kansas City Chiefs since he was picked by the franchise in the NFL draft in 2021. Bolton used to play his high school football for Lone Star High School, where he performed 111 tackles and one interception as a junior. Meanwhile, as a senior, Bolton made 130 tackles and five interceptions.
Later 2018, Bolton joined the University of Missouri and continued his began his college football career. Till 2020, Bolton was a major part of his college side. The youngster end played 35 games with the college team and performed 139 solo tackles, 220 combine tackles, and 4.0 sacks.
Since moving to the Chiefs, Bolton has become a standout performer for the franchise. During his three seasons with the franchise, he participated in 41 games and performed 352 total tackles out of which 216 are solo tackles. Bolton also assisted 136 tackles and made two sacks in the regular season. While in the postseason, the linebacker made a total of 82 tackles and 44 solo tackles, assisted 38 tackles and recovered 36 fumble yards in 10 games.
Eventually, Bolton attempted an illegal tackle during the Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII fixture against the 49ers quarterback. Therefore, he was fined a considerable amount by the NFL authority.
What is horse-collar tackle?
Horse-collar tackle is considered illegal in football, and if a player performs this tackle in a game, he will face punishment and be fined a certain amount. The tackle defines when a player can grab and pull the interior of the opponent player’s collar from the back or even the side of the shoulder pads or jersey.
The linebacker is also not allowed to grab the jersey from the nameplate or above the nameplate and slam the player on the ground. However, the rule doesn’t apply to a runner inside the tackle box or a quarterback in the pocket.
The tackle is considered illegal because the player being tackled will fall on the ground awkwardly, which causes an immense injury. Due to this tackle, the victim will fall backward with bent legs, and his entire body weight will drop on the knees, which can cause injury to the knee’s ligaments.
Why was Nick Bolton fined?
Nick Bolton performed the illegal horse-collar tackle on San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Brock Purdy. The incident occurred during the second quarter play between the Chiefs and 49ers in the Super Bowl LVIII. In the second quarter, the 49ers were leading the Chiefs, and due to the tackle by Bolton, the 49ers earned a 15-yard penalty.
Nick Bolton fined $8,238 by the #NFL for horse-collar tackle on Brock Purdy in Super Bowl LVIII pic.twitter.com/fN5cMtHPao
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 19, 2024
However, the linebacker didn’t drag Purdy on the field. Bolton only held the shirt of the quarterback in an attempt to stop him, but he immediately let Purdy go. Despite not dragging the quarterback, he was called fouled by Bill Vinovich, and the player was also fined $8,238 for attempting the tackle.