By MATT PIKE
The University of Missouri is beginning to announce the 2026 class for the Mizzou Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, the first name announced being current Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton.
Mizzou announced Bolton was being honored with a special video on social media. A former offensive line coach at Missouri, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told Bolton during Chiefs OTA's about the honor surrounded by his Chiefs teammates. The honor for Bolton adds to a growing list of accolades that includes being a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time All-SEC first-team selection and a former consensus All-American.
Bolton, a second round selection by the Chiefs in the 2021 NFL Draft, spent three seasons at Missouri. He began his career in 2018 with a 22-tackle season, but broke out the following year racking up 100 tackles, 10 passes defended, two interceptions and a sack and earning his first of the two First Team All-SEC honors, as well as being named Third Team All-America by Pro Football Focus.
He followed that 2019 season up with an equally-stellar 2020 season, overlapping with the hiring of current Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, earning First Team All-SEC honors again, as well as Second Team All-America honors, and being named a finalist for the Butkus award. In a slightly shorter season, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bolton still compiled 95 tackles, two sacks, five passes defended, and one fumble recovery.
After being drafted in the second round by Kansas City, Bolton played a vital part on two Super Bowl runs, one of which included a famous fumble-return touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. In 74 career games with the Chiefs, Bolton has 612 tackles, six sacks, 42 tackles for loss and five interceptions.
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