ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 21, 2021

Bubba Bolden

Miami Hurricanes

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Bubba, you are first up. Questions.

Q. You finished last year with a team high 74 tackles. What is it about your game that enables you to get to the line of scrimmage or just beyond it and make your tackles so efficient?

BUBBA BOLDEN: I think the biggest thing is just being instinctive, trusting my teammates, trusting the players around me, allow me to play fast. I take pride in making tackles. I take pride in getting to the ball first. I think that's the biggest thing.

Q. As the leader of this defense, with the emergence of incoming freshman James Williams, how do you get him acclimated?

BUBBA BOLDEN: I think the biggest thing with James, his size, his ability to move, I think that's the biggest thing with him. Now him being there on campus, getting him adjusted to the workouts, getting him adjusted to time management. That's the biggest thing.

We start fall camp coming up in a couple weeks. Getting him adjusted to plays will probably be the biggest thing. As a freshman, you got to work your way in. That's what I'm trying to do as an older guy, get him on pace as fast as possible.

Q. You are in early consideration to be one of the Defensive Player of the Years or the Defensive Player of the Year. How does that feel? Does that put more pressure on you or are you looking forward to being notarized as that?

BUBBA BOLDEN: I don't really look into all of that. I just keep the main thing the main thing. That's coming out every day, working hard, doing whatever I need to do for my team.

All those accolades, awards, they come with hard work and dedication. That's my main thing right now. I'm focused on the team. I'm focused on these workouts, fall camp, then when that time comes, it will come.

Q. Manny talked about the defense having a chip on its shoulder because of how they played last season. Do you feel that way? Do you feel like you can be a much better unit in this upcoming season?

BUBBA BOLDEN: Yeah, a thousand percent. We felt that way last year. This year it's a big thing. We all came back for a reason. We want to win. Coach Diaz being a defensive coordinator now, it gives us a lot of confidence in our defense, spatial with me personally. The chip is on our shoulder, will always be on the shoulder no matter what. I just feel like that's a Miami thing.

Q. Miami ranked just 10th last year in quarterback sacks. The only two players you lose for defense were your rush ends. How does Miami get to the quarterback this year?

BUBBA BOLDEN: The same way: our defensive ends. That's one thing we produce here at the University of Miami, are defensive ends. We lose two guys, but two guys are going to step up. We got Jahfari Harvey, Zach McCloud, Deandre. New guys will step up to the plate. You also got linebackers.

Every player on the team can get to the quarterback somehow, some way. That's the way we play our defense, the play calls that Coach Diaz calls. Somehow, some way we'll get to the quarterback.

Q. I want to talk about your approach to the NIL deal you signed, the things your school has going on with NIL, why you're excited about it, the advantages you'll get.

BUBBA BOLDEN: The biggest thing with the NIL, it's a great opportunity for every college athlete around the country. One thing with us, we've been talking about the NIL since the beginning of the spring. Coach Diaz did a good job of bringing in people just to inform us on how to do it, how to go about it.

The same thing like I said before: we keep the main thing the main thing, and that's football. The deals come. You do it when you can do it. My main focus personally is football.

I'm excited for all the deals, for everyone to get money. But personally I keep the main thing the main thing.

THE MODERATOR: Bubba, thank you very much.