Anquan Kenmile Boldin Sr. (; born October 3, 1980) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
wide receiver who played 14 seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
and was drafted by the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in the second round of the
2003 NFL draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
. He also played for the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
,
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
.
Boldin was the 2003
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...
, was selected to three
Pro Bowls and won
Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
with the Baltimore Ravens. In 2015, he was named the
Walter Payton Man of the Year
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is presented annually by the National Football League (NFL) honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called s ...
for his community service. Despite not being named to the
NFL 2000's All-Decade Team, Boldin is widely considered as one of the greatest wide receivers of the 2000's.
High school career
Boldin played football,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, and ran track at
Pahokee High School
Pahokee High School (also known as Pahokee Junior Senior High School) is a historic school in Pahokee, Florida. It is currently located at 900 Larrimore Road. On November 15, 1996, The old Pahokee High School building on E. Main St. was added t ...
. His ability playing as a
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
led him to be named
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
's
Mr. Football in 1998. During his senior season, Pahokee held a 10–0 regular season record including a 34–14 win over
Glades Central in the annual Muck Bowl. After the season, he was a
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
first-team selection and named ''Florida Player of the Year''.
Also a standout
track athlete, Boldin competed in sprinting, jumping and throwing events at Pahokee High. He was timed at 52.34 seconds over
400 meters. In jumps, he recorded a personal-best leap of 6.13 meters in the
long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
. As a thrower, he got a top-throw of 13.53 meters in the
shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
.
In 2007, he was named to the
Florida High School Association All-Century Team, a team compiled of the top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in the state of Florida.
College career
Boldin attended
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
from 1999 to 2002. He was converted to
wide receiver in order to get more playing time. In 23 games at wide receiver, he caught 118 passes for 1,790 yards (averaging 15.2 yards per reception) and 21 touchdowns.
Professional career
2003 NFL Draft
Boldin created initial concerns of the NFL scouts after he registered a relatively slow 4.7 time in the
40-yard dash at the
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foo ...
.
He was drafted in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals with the 54th overall pick in the
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
.
Arizona Cardinals
As a rookie, Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game (217, which would be his career high in receiving yards for a game), tied
Billy Sims
Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1980s. Sims played college football for the Uni ...
for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game (217), and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career (157). He is also the fastest to record 300 career receptions (47 games) and finished the season with 101 catches, 1,377 receiving yards, and eight scores. Boldin was the only rookie selected to the 2004
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
![Anquan Boldin 9-7-08](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Anquan_Boldin_9-7-08.jpg)
In 2005, despite missing time with an injury, Boldin still caught more than 100 passes for over 1,400 yards. Arguably his finest moment came against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
on December 4 when he broke several tackles and scored the game-winning touchdown in a 17–10 win. That year, he and fellow wide receiver
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsburg ...
became only the third duo from the same team to each catch over 100 receptions and top the 1,400-yard mark. They joined Detroit's
Herman Moore
Herman Joseph Moore (born October 20, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. He was drafted by ...
and
Brett Perriman
Brett Perriman (born October 10, 1965) is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints (1988–1990), the Detroit Lions (1991–1996), the Kansas City Chiefs (1997), and the Miami Dolphins (1997). He played coll ...
, who accomplished the feat in 1995, and Denver Broncos tandem
Ed McCaffrey
Edward Thomas McCaffrey, Jr. (born August 17, 1968) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. McCaffrey played college football for Stanford University and ea ...
and
Rod Smith, who did it in 2000.
After compiling 83 catches, 1,203 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 2006, Boldin was selected to play in his second Pro Bowl.
Boldin was named the offensive captain for the Cardinals for the 2007 season; during the season, he became the fastest player in NFL history to compile 400 career receptions.
On September 28, 2008, Boldin was carted off the field after a violent
helmet-to-helmet collision in the end zone with 27 seconds remaining in the Cardinals' 56–35 loss to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. While attempting to catch a long pass from
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...
, Boldin was hit in the back by free safety
Kerry Rhodes
Kerry Rhodes (born August 2, 1982) is an American actor and former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and most recently played for the Arizona C ...
and then took an illegal helmet-to-face shot from strong safety
Eric Smith, knocking them both unconscious. Smith was able to get up after a few moments. After several minutes, Boldin was placed on a stretcher and carted off the field. Smith was fined $50,000 and suspended one game. Boldin left the game having caught 10 balls for 119 yards and a touchdown. On October 4, 2008, coach Ken Whisenhunt announced that Boldin would be out for an indefinite time period with fractured
paranasal sinuses
Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity. The maxillary sinuses are located under the eyes; the frontal sinuses are above the eyes; the ethmoidal sinuses are between the eyes and the sphenoi ...
. Boldin returned three weeks later and caught 9 passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. Fitzgerald and
Steve Breaston, who filled in for the injured Boldin, became the fifth 1,000 yard receiving trio in NFL history.
In December 2008, he became the fastest player in NFL history to have 500 receptions. On January 3, 2009, in his first post-season game, against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
in the
wildcard round, Boldin had a 71-yard catch and run for a touchdown. In the
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, Boldin caught 8 passes for 84 yards.
On May 26, 2009, according to
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's Mike Sando, Anquan Boldin fired agent
Drew Rosenhaus
Drew Jordan Rosenhaus (born October 29, 1966) is an American sports agent who represents professional football players. He owns the Miami-based sports agency Rosenhaus Sports, and has negotiated over $7 billion of NFL contracts.
Early life an ...
. He later hired agent
Tom Condon
Thomas Joseph Condon (born October 26, 1952) is an American football agent and former right guard. He was named the most powerful agent in American football by '' Sporting News'' in 2006 and heads the Football Division of Creative Artists Agency ...
.
On November 15, 2009 in a game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, Boldin became the fifth-fastest NFL player to record 7,000 receiving yards.
Baltimore Ravens
2010 season
![Anquan Boldin with US Army soldiers in 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Anquan_Boldin_with_US_Army_soldiers_in_2010.jpg)
On March 5, 2010, Boldin was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for the Ravens third and fourth round picks in the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
. The Ravens also received a fifth round pick from the Cardinals as part of the deal. Boldin agreed to a three-year deal worth $25 million, in addition to the one year he had left on his then-current deal, bringing the total deal to $28 million over 4 years, with $10 million guaranteed.
In Boldin's Week 1 debut as a Raven, he caught seven passes for 110 yards, and was one of the few offensive players with strong contributions in the 10-9 defensive game eventually won by Baltimore.
In Week 3, against the division rival
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, Boldin caught eight passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns. He became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 600 receptions, doing so in just 98 games. Boldin won AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance.
Three weeks later, the Ravens traveled to New England to take on the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Boldin had four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, but the Ravens eventually lost in overtime. One week later, the Ravens took on another
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in the d ...
team, the Buffalo Bills. He caught six passes for 92 yards and a 34-yard
flea-flicker
A flea flicker is an unorthodox play, often called a "trick play", in American football which is designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass. It can be considered an extreme variant of the play action ...
touchdown in the 37–34 shootout win. He also had five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown in a week 10
Thursday Night Football
''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to 20 ...
loss to the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
.
The Ravens faced their arch-rivals, the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, in Week 13 on
Sunday Night Football. Boldin was the game's leading receiver with five catches, 118 yards, a 61-yard catch and a touchdown in Baltimore's 13–10 loss.
Boldin scored 7 touchdowns in his first year with the Ravens. He had 837 yards through the air as well, on 64 receptions.
In the Wildcard round of the playoffs, the Ravens took on the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
. Boldin caught five passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in the 30–7 rout. The following week, Boldin would only record one reception for -2 yards as the Ravens had their season ended by another loss to the Steelers.
2011 season
In Week 1, Boldin led the Ravens with four catches, 74 yards and the game's opening touchdown, as the Ravens got redemption on their rival Steelers with a 35-7 blowout win.
Boldin had eight catches for 132 yards in a Week 6 victory over the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. The next week, on
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, A ...
against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, Boldin had four receptions, 40 yards and a touchdown. He continued his strong level of play the following week, catching seven passes for a season-high 145 yards as he helped the Ravens put together their biggest comeback win ever against his former team, the Arizona Cardinals
Boldin scored his final touchdown of the season in Week 11 against the rival
Bengals, a 35-yard catch that was his only reception of the game. Boldin finished the regular season as the Ravens leading receiver once again, catching 57 passes for 887 yards, topping his total from 2011, but also had four fewer touchdowns, only scoring three on the year.
In the
Divisional round of the playoffs, Boldin and the Ravens faced the Texans once again. He had four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a much-needed pass on the sideline with one hand. The Ravens would win 20-13 and move on to the
AFC Championship Game.
Boldin had six catches for 101 yards in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots, but the Ravens eventually lost after a dropped touchdown pass by
Lee Evans and a missed field goal by
Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
.
2012 season
![LaQuan Williams, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/LaQuan_Williams%2C_Anquan_Boldin%2C_Torrey_Smith.JPG)
Boldin began his 2012 campaign with four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, while also carrying the ball once for three yards, as the Ravens beat the Bengals 44–13. In a Week 4 primetime win against the Browns, Boldin had a regular season-high nine catches for 131 yards. He had 82 yards the next week in a win over
the Chiefs and 98 yards the following week in a victory over
the Cowboys
''The Cowboys'' is a 1972 American Western film starring John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Bruce Dern, and featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Slim Pickens. It was the feature film debut of Robert Carradine. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name ...
.
Boldin had three more touchdowns in the regular season, scoring one against the Steelers in Week 13 (he also had 81 yards receiving) and two against
the Redskins
The Redskins was a 1980s English band, notable for its left-wing politics, skinhead image and catchy, danceable songs. Their music combined influences from soul, rockabilly, pop and punk rock.
History
The band formed in York, England in 198 ...
the following week (along with 78 yards in the air). He had seven catches for 93 yards in Week 16 when the Ravens clinched their division for the second straight year.
Boldin finished the 2012 regular season leading the Ravens in receiving yards for the third consecutive year. He caught 65 passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns.
In the Wild Card Round of the
2012 Playoffs, Boldin had one of his best postseason performances as a Raven. He caught a 46-yard pass and an 18-yard touchdown pass from
Joe Flacco in a 24–9 win over the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
.
He also set a franchise record of 145 receiving yards in a postseason game.
In the
Divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Boldin caught six passes for 71 yards as he helped the Ravens pull off a 38–35 upset win. In the AFC Championship game, Boldin had five catches for 60 yards and a pair of scores as the Ravens defeated the Patriots 28–13.
Boldin got his first championship title as the Ravens defeated the 49ers by a score of 34–31 in
Super Bowl XLVII
Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. He had six receptions for a total of 104 yards, scored one touchdown and had a long reception of 30 yards. His Super Bowl performance was ranked 31st among all wide receiver performances and 13th in the AFC alone. He finished the postseason with 22 receptions, 380 yards and four touchdowns.
On the
NFL's annual Top 100 Players list, Boldin was ranked number 93.
San Francisco 49ers
On March 11, 2013, Boldin was traded to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
for a sixth-round pick in the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
.
On September 8, 2013, in the season opener against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
which was also his debut game as a 49er, the 49ers defeated the Packers 34–28. Boldin racked up 208 yards and a touchdown on 13 receptions during that game. His week one performance earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He also became the first wide receiver to ever gain over 100 yards for 3 different teams on the team debut matches. Boldin finished the first year with the 49ers with 85 receptions and 1,179 yards as well as 7 touchdowns.
On March 3, 2014, it was announced that Boldin and the 49ers had agreed on a new two-year, $12 million contract, keeping Boldin in San Francisco.
On December 6, 2015, Boldin surpassed 13,000 career receiving yards in a week 13 game against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. Boldin caught 5 passes for 37 yards in the win.
Detroit Lions
On July 28, 2016, Boldin signed with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. He chose to wear 80 rather than 81 out of respect for the recently retired
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
.
On September 11, 2016, Boldin caught three passes for 35 yards in the season opening victory against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
.
His 35 yards give him 13,230 yards for his career, moving ahead of Andre Reed for No. 16 all-time.
On September 18, 2016, Boldin caught his 75th career touchdown (and first with the Lions) against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. On October 23, 2016, Boldin caught the game-winning touchdown with 19 seconds left against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. On November 6, 2016, Boldin caught his fifth touchdown of the season against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. On November 24, 2016, Boldin caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. Boldin recorded a 2-yard touchdown and a 9-yard reception. On December 11, 2016, Boldin's three receptions against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, including a 16-yard second quarter TD, gave him 1,064 catches for his career, moving him into 10th all time, passing
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...
. Boldin finished the season with 67 receptions on 95 targets for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. His 15 red zone receptions ranked No. 2 among NFL wide receivers in 2016.
Buffalo Bills and retirement
On August 7, 2017, Boldin signed a one-year contract with the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. However, on August 20, 2017, less than two weeks after joining the team, Boldin abruptly retired, saying "his life's purpose is bigger than football" and he intended to focus on humanitarian work.
Boldin would hold an official retirement ceremony with the Baltimore Ravens on October 14, 2019.
NFL records
* Most receiving yards in first career game: 217
* Most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career: 157
* Fastest to record 200 career receptions (in 34 games) - since broken by
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Beckham played college football at LSU and was drafted by the ...
(30 games)
* Fastest to record 300 career receptions (in 47 games) - since broken by
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Beckham played college football at LSU and was drafted by the ...
(45 games)
* Fastest to record 400 career receptions (in 67 games)
* Fastest to record 500 career receptions (in 80 games)
- since tied by
Julio Jones
Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. (; born February 8, 1989) is an American football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falco ...
Cardinals franchise records
* Most receiving yards per game average in a season: 100.1 (2005)
* Most receptions per game average in a season: 7.4 (2008)
* Most receptions per game average (career): 6.2
Ravens franchise records
* Most post-season receiving yards in a game: 145
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Personal life
Boldin has a brother,
DJ Boldin
Demir "D.J." Boldin (born June 20, 1986) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the wide receivers coach for South Carolina State University, a position he has held since 2024. He previously was the head football coach ...
, who was an offensive assistant for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and is the head football coach at NCAA Division II Lake Erie College. Boldin's first son, Anquan, Jr., was born in 2004 and his second son, Ashton Boldin, was born in 2010. One of his cousins was
Corey Jones
Corey Jones (born 26 February 1981) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Kangaroos in the Australian Football League. Jones grew up in the small Victorian town of Wycheproof, near Bendigo.
Career
Jone ...
.
Boldin is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. With the Baltimore Ravens, Boldin would often lead
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
study in the locker room.
Boldin established the Anquan Boldin Foundation aka Q81 Foundation in 2004. The Foundation is dedicated to expanding the educational and life opportunities of underprivileged children and has a track record for sustaining programs in multiple cities. As evidenced by the charitable activities in Arizona, Baltimore and Boldin's home state of Florida, the Q81 Foundation has its annual Q-Festival Weekend, Holiday Turkey Drive and Shopping Spree, and Q81 Summer Enrichment Program partnered with Florida Crystals The Foundation exercises scholarship and dental programs for children. It also serves the community by rewarding great scholastic and community achievement in youth.
In March 2012, Boldin and former Cardinals teammate
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsburg ...
went to
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, where they volunteered to move rocks to create
arable land
Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...
.
[ ''Gary Belsky, ESPN'' Retrieved December 14, 2012]
References
External links
Official websiteSan Francisco 49ers biographyBaltimore Ravens biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boldin, Anquan
1980 births
Living people
Players of American football from Florida
People from Pahokee, Florida
African-American players of American football
American football quarterbacks
American football wide receivers
Florida State Seminoles football players
Arizona Cardinals players
Baltimore Ravens players
San Francisco 49ers players
Sportspeople from the Miami metropolitan area
Detroit Lions players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
National Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners
Buffalo Bills players
Pahokee High School alumni
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people
10,000 receiving yards club
Ed Block Courage Award recipients