Duel in the Desert: Former Mizzou Tigers cheering on Nick Bolton in Super Bowl LVII

© Eric Gay Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Nick Bolton (54) breaks up a pass intended for Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample, left, during the second half of the AFC championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Super Bowl 57 is less than 24 hours away, and fans here in Missouri will have a familiar face suiting up for the Kansas City Chiefs.

By now, the name Nick Bolton is pretty well known across the state of Missouri. The former Mizzou Tiger standout is now at the heart of the Kansas City Chiefs defense.

His skill and athleticism are no secret to those who know him from his college days, and he’s making Mizzou football proud as he preps for the big game.

From Mizzou to Kansas City, Nick Bolton has always been a playmaker.

“You can be a Mizzou fan and keep up with what’s going on, and you see one of your true sons out there making big plays,” says Mizzou football alum and NFL star Sean Weatherspoon.

Those big plays all started at Mizzou, where Bolton was teammates with Ozark native and offensive lineman Trenton Sederwall.

“I’ll admit I may have blocked Nick once or twice, but 98% of the time, he’s darting to the ball, so he’s very hard to touch,” said Sederwall.

That ability has translated well to the pros. Bolton is a staple of the Chiefs defense and a Super Bowl captain. Leadership that Sederwall experienced when the Tigers were teammates.

“Being under the leadership of Nick, I was a year behind him, so I got to see him basically step up through the roles of being a leader,” said Sederwall.

As Bolton leads the Chiefs on the field for the biggest game on the biggest stage, he represents Mizzou, and Mizzou roots for him.

“Being from Mizzou, we got a lot of good guys that come out every single year. Just being one of those guys playing this game, and it’s huge, I know it’s huge for Columbia, the University of Missouri, and the whole state of Missouri,” said Nick Bolton.

“He’s out there flying around, and I think if he’s on the field, the Chiefs have a great chance. The Mizzou faithful are right there, just locked in,” said Weatherspoon.

“Seeing Nick play for the Chiefs and what’s he done for us at Mizzou and now what he’s doing for Kansas City, it’s pretty fantastic,” said Sederwall.

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