PURVIS – The Purvis Tornadoes football program has started a tradition of producing level-next wide receivers, and senior C.J. Bolar is the next one. Bolar signed his National Letter of Intent Wednesday to play football at Vanderbilt University.
“A lot of opportunities opened up in my life, and I’m blessed for every opportunity,” Bolar said. “I have to give God the glory and I’m just excited for my future.”
Bolar is a December graduate and will move to Nashville Jan. 5. He plans to study pharmaceutical sciences.
“The grind starts now,” he said. ‘Well, it has started, but it’s business from now on.”
After the season, Vanderbilt assistant coaches visited Bolar at home, then he took an official visit shortly after. Just two days later, he announced his commitment to the Commodores via Twitter. To celebrate, Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason visited Bolar at his home two days after that.
“It reached all of my expectations,” Bolar said of his visit. “I really liked it. I love it, actually. The city, the educations, the degree, the SEC. It’s all you could ask for.”
He will move from a town of a 2,164 population to a metropolitan area of nearly two million. Nashville itself has 684,410 residences.
“Vanderbilt was the perfect fit for me. It’s a big city with a small town feel. There’s not much to do to get you in trouble. I felt like it was right for me. It might be a change, but I’m ready for it. I have to do whatever I can to put myself in the best position possible.”
Bolar finishes his four-year career at Purvis with 2,187 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns on 116 receptions. As a senior, he had 45 grabs, 896 yards and 11 scores.
Bolar knew what he wanted when he began his varsity football career, and now it feels surreal for him after his four years.
“I always dreamed of it, but for it to actually happen, it’s really breathtaking,” he said. “This is a blessing, man.”
