Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton was raised by his parents, Carlos and Jalunda Bolton, with four siblings in Frisco, Texas. Bolton comes from an athletic family, with his father previously playing college football and his sister being a two-sport athlete in high school.
Since his days at Lone Star High School, Bolton, 24, has been known for his high football IQ and vision.
A three-star prospect at Lone Star, Bolton was named District 12-5A Defensive MVP in his senior season. The linebacker totaled 130 tackles, with 16 for loss and five interceptions.
In 2018, Bolton chose Missouri State over Mississippi State, Boston College, Utah, and Washington, among others, and played all 13 games as a true freshman.
Nick came alive in his sophomore year and became one of the nation’s most dominant linebackers throughout the season.
He earned a season grade of 91.1 from Pro Football Focus. Bolton also earned All-SEC First Team honors from the league, coaches, and the Associated Press, after posting a team-best 107 tackles.
After a solid junior season during which he was named a Butkus Award Finalist, Bolton announced he was entering the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs selected him in the second round as the 58th overall pick. Since joining the Chiefs, Bolton has already won two Super Bowl titles.
The Chiefs didn’t extend Bolton’s contract during the 2024 off-season, making him a free agent in 2025.
Bolton is rumored to join the New Orleans Saints with veteran linebacker Demario Davis, entering his final year.
Nick Bolton’s Father, Carlos Bolton Is His Biggest Critic And Fan
The Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton received tremendous support from his parents, Carlos and Jalunda, early on.
Carlos Bolton played defensive end and linebacker at Louisiana Tech from 1990 to 1992.
His read of the game and intelligence set Carlos apart from his teammates.
In an interview with The Maneater, Carlos said,
I watchd a lot of games, played a lot of games. I got with the coaches a lot to get a feel for what they were thinking, how they were thinking, how they watned to attack different offenses. Like a sponge, I absored all of that.
via: The Maneater
After graduating, Bolton thought about becoming a football coach but never seriously considered it.
But he chose to pass on the knowledge to his son, Nick.
Since first grade, Nick and Carlos would read the tapes recorded by Jalunda during the games.
In his interview, the NFL player said his dad has always been his biggest critic. At times, he wouldn’t understand why his dad was so hard on him.
Carlos realized his son had a special talent when he was still in seventh grade.
While watching the tapes, Carlos would ask Nick to break down his play and what he should’ve done.
Nick reached a level where he started identifying what the player next to him should’ve done.
As he got older, Nick realized his father’s criticisms and push made him a better athlete who could think out of the box.
Not only was Carlos his biggest critic but also his biggest fan.
The linebacker said having his dad by his corner pushes him to live both of their dreams.
Nick Bolton’s Mom, Jalunda Bolton, And Sister, Jazmine, Battled Through Cancer
The Chiefs linebacker has previously talked about how he found strength as he saw two of the important figures in his life battle through cancer.
Nick, his mom, Jalunda, and his sister, Jazmine, sat down for an interview with the Chiefs website after being drafted in 2021.
Jazmine was like a second mom to Nick and one of the people he grew up idolizing.
A talented athlete, Jazmine played high school basketball and softball. During her senior year, Jazmine decided to take a step back after not feeling well.
The doctor later discovered a three-inch tumor in her brain.
A surgery that should’ve taken seven hours took up to 12 hours, and at one point, doctors even told the Bolton family Jazmine wasn’t responding.
After her surgery, Jazmine recalls Nick being scared to approach her and that he probably didn’t want to see her in that condition, where all her hair was gone and her face swollen.
At first, Nick felt helpless seeing his sister in that condition.
Later, he wanted to make Jazmine proud by achieving as much as he could by being an elite athlete.
But right when Jazmine recovered, and everything started feeling normal for the Bolton family, Jalunda was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Jalunda said she found strength through her daughter, and in 2021, she was five years cancer-free.
Nick, his mom, and Jalunda are big on giving back to the community.
In 2024, Nick and Jalunda partnered with Campbell’s Chunky to fight against food insecurity and are part of the Chunky Sacks Hunger program.
Nick has previously donated to the V Foundation for Cancer Research and said he wants to start a foundation for cancer patients.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Due to her brain tumor, Nick Bolton’s sister, Jazmine Bolton, no longer has peripheral vision in her left eye.
- The Bolton family adopted a child in 2020, Joshua Bolton, who plays football for Blue Springs South High School.
