Nathaniel Bolton (born July 1, 1968) is a former professional

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and

Canadian football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...

player in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL) and

World League of American Football NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally ...

(WLAF). During his career he played wide receiver for the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

of the CFL, and

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

for the Frankfurt Galaxy of the WLAF, winning a

World Bowl The World Bowl was the annual American football championship game of the World League of American Football/NFL Europe. The World Bowl was played each year from 1991 to 2007 (except 1993 and 1994). The game was conceived as the final of the NFL-r ...

championship in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

. Bolton played collegiately for

Mississippi College Mississippi College (MC) is a private Baptist university in Clinton, Mississippi. Founded in 1826, MC is the second-oldest Baptist-affiliated college or university in the United States and the oldest college or university in Mississippi. Histor ...

Early years and college career

Bolton was born in Mobile, Alabama, as the 18th of 20 children, and grew up in

McLain, Mississippi McLain is a town in Greene County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 441 at the 2010 census, down from 603 at the 2000 census. History Natural disasters In early spring 2016, McLain had major flooding which closed many roads and t ...

. Bolton went on to attend

Clinton, Mississippi Clinton is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. Situated in the Jackson metropolitan area, it is the tenth largest city in Mississippi. The population was 28,100 at the 2020 United States census. History Founded in 1823, Clint ...

, where he played college football from 1987 to 1990. Back then, the

Choctaws The Choctaw (in the Choctaw language, Chahta) are a Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands, in what is now Alabama and Mississippi. Their Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choctaw people are ...

were competing at the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division II level and won the

National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

in 1989 against Jacksonville State. Bolton contributed with 62 receptions (a school record) for 1,012 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named

Gulf South Conference The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States. History Originally known as the Mi ...

(GSC) offensive player of the week twice that year and earned first team all-conference honors while leading the GSC in points scored with 90. However, Mississippi College's football tournament participation, along with its NCAA Division II national football championship, were later vacated by the NCAA Committee on infractions for recruiting violations. He finished his collegiate career ranked second in school history with 129 receptions, fourth with 1,733 receiving yards, and first with 19 touchdown receptions. In August 1996, Bolton was named to the GSC Team of the Quarter Century (1971–1995).

Professional career

Bolton went unselected in the 1991 NFL Draft and signed as a free agent with the

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 (A ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolton, Nathaniel 1968 births Living people American football running backs American football wide receivers American players of Canadian football Canadian football wide receivers Frankfurt Galaxy players Mississippi College Choctaws football players Players of American football from Mobile, Alabama Players of Canadian football from Alabama Winnipeg Blue Bombers players