Texas WR Silas Bolden Discusses Transferring from Oregon State & His Motivation | 3rd & Longhorn

Introduction of Texas Wide Receiver Silas Bolden what's up y'all size Bon here with thir Lorn make sure you like And subscribe hook them what's up everybody welcome back to another episode of third and Longhorn we got a big crew in the house today for a very special guest Mr silus Balden silus [Applause] His journey to the 40 Acres and why he chose Texas welcome we appreciate you being here man of course no problem well we always start these out the same way you had a little longer route to the 40 acres but talk about your journey and why you chose Texas um uh when I got into pter I went to look for a school you know that had a a chance to go to National Championship and that's what Texas had Why he transferred to Texas and that's why I came what made you like identify that though I mean if we just going off college football playoff it would say go to Michigan no I W go to Michigan say it it would say go to you du no I want to go somewhere was hot Adapting to Texas heat yeah I I was in the Northwest already oreg state was cold I was tired of getting beat in the cold well it's it's it's it's the middle of summer in Texas is it has it been hot enough for you yeah it's hot Playing bigger than his size enough be careful what you wish for no hey I've been watching your film man I've been watching it because I'm I'm a DB by trade so I've been watching I got and part of my scouting report on you is he plays much bigger than his size yes sir you 5'8 I don't know 160 165 somewhere around there some around there I'll give you a few pounds no doubt but what I love about your game is you do play bigger I'll get I don't know if you know the stat about yourself I'm sure you do uh contested catches last year you C you got nine to 16 over 50% so you win your 50/50 balls in contested catches is that a is that a mentality thing or we talking about is that just a style of play thing a skill set what is it about your game that allows you to play much bigger than your size I mean I've always been small growing up so people already been bigger than me so I mean why not make the play if they're already bigger than me so I just got to show people what I can do and that's really one of the big reasons why I came to Texas I feel like Oregon State like nobody really knew who I was it's kind of Underdog but I feel like planning SEC is going to show everybody who I really Versatility and playing with a chip on his shoulder am yeah we I'm I'm excited about that man I I watch your film as well just to uh just to expound on that um you route tree is you can run everything like you know what I mean some some receivers you say h you know he stays to the outside he don't go across the middle no hitches nothing like that cuz you don't want anybody you know he can't break tackles like that that's all you do you you run with a chip on your shoulder that's a that's a we're going to need that this year so um um where does that come from that when you I mean you you've you've played running back I mean you you've gotten back I mean you play all over the field um going going across the middle or whatever do you take pride in in having that chip on your shoulder to break tackles I mean for your size breaking tackles is not you know not coming well I started playing running back at first that was my first position it's making sense it's here we go hold on keep going let let N yeah I started playing running back that's my first position and then uh I think I started playing receiver probably like sixth seventh grade okay and so my brother already play receiver so he kind of like taught me to rub so like what to do how to run routes how to catch so just became natural like it's God gave the ability you know it's natural for me to break tackles for me to juk people you know get open run Transition from running back to receiver routes just something I was given I always think of like a um smaller receiver like you think about some of them C been the ones dominating the league right now J wild Tyreek Hill think Hollywood Brown was on fire kind of but he coming back with it we seen what x did last year at the college level I'm always so blown away about how we still questioning size as if that guy has not always been that size as if like that's a new thing like you you like you said I've been I've always been the small so then it's not new to you yeah it's not new so then like what's is that a part of the chip shoulder what's that feel like when everybody the first thing they say is oh man what's your what's your what's your how what's your measurables I mean I just tell them to turn on the tape you see what I can do true so that's really all I really said about that I mean people just might just say I'm a gadget guy but if you really turn on tape Oregon State I did it all return per turn you know guy in the back field play receiver and that's that's more a gadget guy don't do that right feel what I'm saying so uh I just feel like having that chip on your shoulder prove the doubt is wrong is really what motivates me to uh go hard every day right yeah know I think that's a good Overcoming size stereotypes answer I think when you when people start talking about size of like skill position guys like you they take into account like guys like me defensive ends coming out the stacks hitting you from from like hitting you from an angle you ain't seen stuff like that but to counteract that I thought your answer was perfect watch the tape we look for toughness on tape if you taking hits like that at the college level you're going to be able to hold up at the next level sir um kind of transitioning you heading into this Texas receiver room you got an interesting Dynamic going on because you're one of the newer guys in the room but at the same time you got the most experience coming in so how do you navigate through a situation like that uh I mean being new like uh it's kind of like I don't want to overstep like my boundaries you know like I don't want to be like oh rah like that's not who I am so I kind of I'm more of a GU at least by example you know just going in every day you know working hard you know getting the Playbook uh just giving the young guys Corners here and there cuz you know I'm a veteran so just Role in Texas receiver room showing the guys ropes how to play college football well with that being said I guess what in your opinion what exactly are you bringing to this Texas room like as a player I mean you know just I don't know how to really describe man say it nobody going brag on you like you say it I mean I'm bringing speed I'm bringing somebody who's coming to work uh Willam blocker you know somebody who's going to make a play every time they touch the ball so I just I just can't wait to put that on display this year you also bring some Dynamic return ability sir now you've been a kickoff returner I think average over 25 yards per return in your career and you you got a lot like 40 of those in your career but your punt return you've only done that a couple of times but man you Bringing experience and dynamic play to Texas you like you got 33 yards per P turn oh man a touchdown where which one do you like more and have you what are you and Jeff Banks talking about don't tell us everything but tell us enough uh well growing up I did permon first so I remember it was like might have been last 10 years old they just said go back there I just didn't busy after that I know it was kind of natural for me so uh at Oregon State we had a guy named mat one of my good friends he was a per return I did kick return I had no problem with that but it was a game he went down it was like okay go back there I was a little nervous cuz it's been I haven't returned since yeah I haven't returned since high school and you know college level and punish is a little different coming for you man gun yeah so Punt and kick return skills the first one I was a little nervous like I let it go I Fair caught it then my my one of my best friends is like nah bro you got to take that so so the next one I caught it he you out yeah so next one I caught I went like like R for like 50 yards and I was like nah I was like okay yeah n I'm I'm going to score the next one so I told him like watch this I'm going to score so it was like return middle and I caught on the left side of the field I was like I don't think I'm going to go in the middle so I just went all the way around juk like the whole team and I scored and after that like a aunt came back so it was like it was no need for me to per turn no more but uh yeah I want per turn though per turn is really why I see myself I watched that Handling college-level punt returns play that that was one of your nastiest plays man that was I love how he casually say y d like the whole team got got like 50 yard so so I mean I've done both and they are completely different completely different which one I mean one of them is like where they at where the ball where they at where the ball then the other one is catch it and you got to you just got to hit it so like which one is your favorite and why uh uh maybe punt just cuz I at kick return for so long I want to try something new like yeah I want to have a new experience in college so I feel like pump for right now but it don't really matter to me so kick return Prim return Versatility in special teams uh I feel like I excel in both yeah well I have a I have a feeling and I want to I want to know if this this if this theory is correct that when you were probably taking your visits I have a feeling the name kelen Robinson probably got thrown around a little bit and I think I'm guessing that's how like that's how he's likely going to fit in and I think you know it's it's one of those things where I think people underestimated how good kelen Robinson was because he didn't get all the plays that everybody had but he could play pretty much any position he was back on kick returns he could he could do whatever and then we see it and he gets he becomes a big time draft pick and I think do you foresee or have you heard that name thrown around quite a bit uh no I was kind of more so like uh just you know playing mainly receiver like uh slot outside you know uh punt returns kick return so that name was thr around you know I'm my own person but uh he he was a great player I seen his highlights he was making plays kick turn everything so yeah I seen him even at Oregon State make a play so yeah I thought he was a great player yeah I think you're Comparisons to Keilan Robinson obviously more of a receiver than he is he's more of a running back but I can foresee like something like that something like that we're versatile so we just going I'm guessing there's going to be a few plays in the play for we just going to have to see to see as as I look at that offense and I'm just like there are weapons everywhere right it's like but at the end of the day it's only one football and on a great offensive day you know where the defense is doing what they need to do then we getting 70 snaps maybe on a great day we got 70 snaps let's say that we run the ball I don't know 30 of those times whoa whoa not ready than 30 I know 25 for the Preparing for Texas offensive scheme sake of argument let's let's go I'm sorry at the tape l i I'm an advocate for running the ball I just we don't run enough that's all I was a shot sh this is what deal this is what you have to deal with so so 70 snaps you run it 25 times there we go early down is that okay we got we got we got 45 times of balls been put in there all right let's just say of those 45 let's say like 12 of them were incomplete you you having a great say it's still a really good day how many times do you need to touch the ball to make an impact it don't matter yeah once I get it you just going to have to see that's a good answer so get my popcorn ready I gave you all that Facing San Jose State and teammate Jay'Vion Cole math to get my that's a good answer U I got I got a question for you um because early on in y y'all's non non con y'all played San Jose State uh jvon Cole is now your teammate he was one of the starting cornerback for Te all right now give me a Scouting Report give me me give me some of the breakdown I know you're at the preparation up and okay first of all how many times did y'all go straight up against each other and how many times did you win uh honestly we didn't go against each other that much okay but I didn't really I didn't uh that game I had cramped up so like that third quarter I missed like the whole third quarter but when we watch film on him he's he's good I can't wait to see what he could do in the SEC you know Reflecting on top defensive backs faced both of us coming from California we got a little connection so yeah it was glad to see somebody from California being coming to Texas but yeah I can't wait for to see what he could do uh who's the best DB you played against in your in my career yeah yeah who's who's the guy that you would give respect to and give an to and say yeah man this guy's legit it's legit it's a lot I ain't going lie really give me L give me throw out a few I went against Jabar last year oh yeah number one ra right Alex Austin Kyrie Jackson from Oregon oh yeah um who we play Clark Phillips I don't really go against him but he had like three picks versus us so that alone had my yeah he and he had to pick six come on stop play I swear yeah what that man man he need to send y'all he need to send y a a draft Preparing for Texas heat and hydration press cuz on his to send y a he czy I didn't really go against him but just seeing what he was doing I'm oh yeah he wanted them it's been a few DBS I thought was pretty good that stood out to me but um as far as the best uh I don't know yet no I like that I like that L I'm not gonna lie you made me nervous you said you cramped up in the third quarter against San Diego State it's a lot San Jose State it's a lot hotter out here no I'm good now I'm good now it was a little different cuz we was in Oregon so we wasn't used to that so it was hot but like coming back to Cali like it was like a different type of heat yeah so like I don't think I was hydrating the right way so that was on me I got it now you know I'm you know I'm a vet so I know what to do so I'm be straight straight Donald the Donald and the staff they me right it's all good Donald drink my pickle juice you know get my hydration I'm right right when you talk about um um just getting into family Family dynamics and influence of his brother Dynamics and uh your brother played in the league right sir so uh I had a brother play in the league and I've always told people that um we not that our our path is easier um but but it we definitely have an advantage over other athletes because we actually are in the house and we actually have connection to somebody that we're where we're trying to go and um what do you credit you know um um of of advice knowledge of being able to um to to look up to your brother who did it at a high level yeah I mean he was sort of my inspiration you know he's not the biggest guy either so I used to see him all the time like he didn't start playing football till eth grade wow yeah so he was good as soon as he started on the film like yeah I could do that too that's late wow so he started playing eighth grade and then I just seen him like his his growth too like his first position was running back as well how much older is he six years six okay same exacts okay nice so like seeing him grow up like make it to NFL like just motivation like I can do it too yeah absolutely Thoughts on the transfer portal and NIL absolutely swi let me switch gears a little bit I'm just curious like I'm thinking about the whole transfer portal I mean the two biggest conversations that go around college football I feel like is transfer portal and nil mhm right I'm thinking you had major success where you at I'm sure you were a man on campus if the Pack 12 don't fall apart are you still in the portal um I don't know good question just cuz really really what made me leave was my coach left so if my Coach still left uh with the Pack 12 I mean I probably consider into the portal still cuz he was like a big part of me coming to Oregon State the coaches here at Texas have it felt like yeah no I love the coaches at Texas like it's it's coach from Cali coach Jack from C like it's whole people from Cali so it's like it's just like home for real especially Austin like where I'm from I can consider that's really the biggest Importance of coaches in transfer decisions reason why I came to Austin cuz it's like when I'm back home it's like it similar to here like we got good food spots like it's always something like it's a little traffic like I'm used to that we all We complain about the traffic yeah no I need I need a little traffic you know need that back it up we corval is like really small like people Impressions of Texas coaching staff don't know that like it's really small it's not much to do like I could say corval really uh show me how to be a man like just be about your business cuz you know if you have no distractions like you could put yourself in the best position to be where you want to be and more on those West Coast ties you're talking about uh Johnny nanson is now on Comparing Austin to home the staff he former defensive coordinator for Arizona you guys played Arizona so now I'm going ask you again Scouting Report me I'm trying to get some inside info here uh give me what your thoughts on the philosophy of a Johnny nanson defense cuz he's going to bring some of that to H to Texas Arizona I ain't going lie that's probably one of the best defenses I play front seven was crazy and it had some corners but yeah coach n he I think he's one of the people that vou for me to come over here yeah okay yeah cuz he Life in Corvallis and its impact told me that when I was on my Vis like yeah u i remember you when we play Arizona he was like yeah I told coark like we need to go get him that's what's up um kind of speaking on corvala you were able to go back there recently to pick up that degree mhm what did that mean to you man that was great seeing that smile on my mom's face just meant everything to me you know uh I wasn't going to do it at first uh I just want to you know be done with Insights on Johnny Nansen's defense that chapter but seeing everybody else like seeing people graduate on Instagram like I was like N I got to go back it's not the same like I got to put that put that capwn on cuz in high school I don't really have a graduation cuz I left during Co so we had like a driveth we I couldn't sit down on no see like I couldn't go up and get my diploma like I didn't consider all that uh but talking to my girlfriend and uh talk to my mom I was like no you need to go do that's a big accomplishment so I I went back and Returning to Oregon State for his degree got my diploma it's in the house right now I tell you you going to look back on that like me I know I look younger than you but I'm not the same you can you'll look you'll look back on it and then like if you decide like kids or anything like that you'll just be proud that you got yeah well let's uh let's keep it on the on the west coast and I know this question is going to be uh near and dear to Jeremy's heart but you had a special quarterback when you were in higho at Rancho talk a little bit about that Relationship with quarterback CJ Stroud and your relationship with him yeah me and CJ we've known each other before high school so we knew each other just like Middle School like we play basketball against each other um and then we play on the same youth team but he play on the older team cuz he's a little bigger but n me and CJ have a great connection you know that's that's really one of my close friends um which CJ is this so for those that don't know I mean if you don't know CJ know qub quarterback for the who Houston Texas that's why that's why yeah I'm from aown so we Rees yeah Differences in training between Oregon State and Texas that's one of my close friends you know I look him advice you know about Texas you know just getting used to it uh us being both from Cali like it's a little different um but n that's one of my boys oh yeah you definitely be down in Houston then yeah no I'll be I'm going try to catch a game you know he going to probably be out here for one of my games cuz you know it's my last year so you know having that support system is going Building chemistry with Texas teammates to be great that's awesome what's been what's been one of the bigger differences through through training thus far just like you know not trying to just compare you know State Texas but I'm thinking like what's something that when you got here you were like oh this is different heat that heat yeah that first day I was cuz I came out here a little early than everybody else so I came out here May 20th just to try to I was going to get used to it N I a't get used to it cuz I was I was just working out on my own you know cuz everybody was at home so I was just working out you know lifting doing some route stuff you know uh and then we had our first workout I was like D It's Adjusting to the Texas heat kind of hot and I was just I didn't realize how humid it was going to be so I was sweating so I drink a whole bunch of water like get hydrated but N I can say that he's probably the biggest difference that's the man maker right there uh being a receiver uh even though I coming in late cuz you you wasn't here for the for the spring ball um chemistry wise are you are you you and Quinn are working together yeah all the receivers okay good that's okay how has that been it's been good you know we doing like play R practices so that's been good getting that chemistry down but um I could say from Like A playbook standpoint like it was a little it's like a seamless transition cuz I mean we ran like a pro style offense at Oregon State so like the verbiage and stuff is just a little different but we still Playbook and practice transitions have the same routes and stuff so it's it's been good um I thought it was going to be a little harder cuz as much coark throw the ball like all the plays we got but no it's been it's been good so far yes I just uh you said play around practices and it always it takes me back what are those things looking like nowadays cuz I remember when we play those things used to get pretty competitive no they competitive for sure yeah like you you even go harder out there than in a regular practice so what Competitive nature of player-run practices what do those things look like nowadays I mean it's probably the same still competitive you know um just guys going at it trying to get better each and every day so it's been good so far you know just going to against some DBS and stuff yeah you know the DBS going you know I mean they watch your film they already know about you just just know when they line up they trying to strap you up like tell me about the DBS now I think we got a we got a pretty strong room so it's I mean they all good so I can't just say like oh who's this this but now they all pretty good I can't wait to see uh how they put on the show on I know they going to make some plays for sure you guys doing um like one-on Evaluating Texas defensive backs ones out there n not one-on-one just like 707 in team stuff that's that's your real hype you need official you like a referee you need a non bias party here that has full control of that situation I agree you need a moderator L going to start closing down that's not how you closing you didn't even pretend to you closing down like it's goine okay and running back running routes that ain't in trust me I know they Tak 5 Seconds to get to the rout like bro ball is out Anticipation for playing in larger stadiums already what's been what's been one of the things I would say that like obviously the the football season it's going to be here quick you know we we going into the the middle of the summer before you look up it's two days and boom it's it's it's game day what's give me something that you super excited about this season probably just like you know P to our stadiums weren't that big so like we only s like 50,000 yeah Texas s 105 d double I'm like going to Michigan I'm like yeah I'm I'm really looking forward to that you know being a veteran like I I'm used to like you know like the crowd Goals and aspirations for his time at Texas you know but I'm just looking for the like the whole ACC experience for real so that's just what I'm most excited about and then put my name on display you know uh showing everybody who I really am and uh put my my best fo forward to uh get drafted so then so then let me ask you like CU you got a short time you got a short time to make a big impact right and and we've seen that happen at this position already EAS so ad did his thing he made an impact on on his legacy at Texas what do you want to be remembered for and from your time here I guess just who I said I am for real like uh prove myself right like show everybody uh that Size Doesn't Impressions of Coach Jackson Matter you know be everybody big but what's that going to mean if you can't run with me what's that going to mean if you can't you know so I'm just trying to put my best foot forward like I said and just show people who I really am that's really the big reason why I came to sec to um you know put my talents on display right go ahead no what your thoughts about coach Jackson I love coach Jack yeah I love coach Jack he from C so we got that c connection so yeah coach Jack he cool he cool people well we saw in your bio Future business ambitions that you eventually want to open your own business and so talk a little bit about that and I think I mean you obviously came to the right place like the network the networking opportunities the businesses Etc in this town it's in and the network of alumni at Texas is insane what what are you looking to to get into uh you know me and my friends talked about doing something but like uh I could say from my standpoint I would want to like give back to my community like uh open up like a little business like with like a sports League you know 707 and stuff you know like have a clothing line with that and uh you know just be around sports that's really what Toughest environments in the Pac-12 I wanted to do anybody else Nick anybody else I mean I can go all day I got got I want to know what we're going to expect from the actual offense I want to know who going to replace the got all kind of stuff I want to talk about I'm trying to respect it well before we let you go I I got one more I want to ask like what what was and this is just me being curious what was the toughest environment in the Pack 12 that you played in can't say your own not my own can't say your own can't can't say toughest Road environment thank you Road there we go okay we play Utah is Pretty Tough no I ain't G Expectations for Big 12 play to lie I can give you like top five yeah let's Oregon Oregon's one one that surprised me Washington state was pretty loud that's that's where my parents were loud really Utah um who else is loud Washington Washington UD crazy that Stadium gets loud that V shape but no I got a from us is five too so yeah ours are pretty loud we had um in 22 we had uh our half of our stadium was like not together cuz they redid it but like I me we play SC like I ain't going to lie that's probably one of the lest games I ever played in yeah and it wasn't even a full stadium so got full Stadium Preparing for game day experiences probably would have been rocking oh man listen I've been in a couple of them stadiums you talking about I can't wait for you to hear this no I can't wait I can't wait I asked my teammates like what's it like they like you just going have to see experi you going to come out there you going to come out there smoke just don't find yourself doing this for too long you got game to play yeah yeah well Closing remarks and thank yous Silas we appreciate you coming by man thank you so much we'd love to check in later in the season if you're around of course we can we can do that all right man appreciate it h a