Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles said that he looked like a “beached whale” on his failed dive tackle against the Raiders.
The Denver Broncos’ offense has been a tough watch this season, which is not what anybody expected with the addition of Russell Wilson. Denver’s offense currently ranks 24th in DVOA, which tends to negate the fact that Denver’s defense ranks eighth.
Must-watch moments from that offense have been rare in the Broncos’ 2-2 start, but left tackle Garett Bolles inadvertently created one with 3:15 left in the first half of Denver’s 32-23 Sunday loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Cornerback Amik Robertson recovered a fumble by running back Melvin Gordon, and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown. Bolles did his level best to catch up to Robertson, but let’s just say that the results were less than ideal.
On Wednesday’s episode of the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show, Bolles explained exactly what happened.
“First off, I watched Superman the night before, so I thought I could be like Superman, but I ended up being like a beached whale,” he said. “In Denver, Coach Hack [head coach Nathaniel Hackett] emphasizes never giving up and always hustling. We didn’t get the job done on Sunday like we wanted to, but at the end of the day, I try to play my heart out for my teammates. I was trying to make a play, it didn’t go well, but I want my teammates and everyone to know that I’m going to give my all, and try to help us win. You never know — I could have maybe made that tackle if I didn’t look like a beached whale on sand, but at the end of the day, I’m always trying to give out my heart.”
Bolles was then asked whether his teammates appreciated the effort, or if he got all kinds of static for the failed try.
“No, they were definitely razzing me. But I think that’s the cool thing about a locker room– we’re a big brotherhood, and we’re always striving to push each other to be great. So, the hazing and the teasing me, I just roll with it. K-Jack [safety Kareem Jackson] definitely got me the most, but that’s just his personality, and I love the dude.
As it turns out, Bolles wasn’t just getting played for his play by his teammates — his wife Natalie joined the Twitter choir.
“I had no idea it went viral,” Bolles said. “But I can definitely see why it did. She definitely gave me a hard time — we were laughing, and she told me about the tweet. If you know our relationship, we’re always kidding each other. We’re big jokesters in out family, and anytime we can jab each other, we try to do it. So, if she can crack a joke like that and still love me, I’m good.”
Bolles is good, and it was good that he was also able to promote his GB3 Foundation, providing mentorship for young people with learning disabilities. Bolles has learned to manage his own ADHD and anxiety, and the couple’s son, Kingston, recently received a learning disability diagnosis.
In life, and in football, when you fall down, you just get back up and try again.
