Garett Bolles wants to play his heart out for Russell Wilson

Left tackle Garett Bolles shared a glimpse of life with Russell Wilson as his quarterback during Thursday’s presser, and how he plans on stepping up as a leader in the left tackle position.

More than that, he discussed how he feels about his own place in the league.

On his first impressions of Russell Wilson, Bolles compared the quarterback’s mentality to that of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, some of the greatest athletes.

“He’s just so focused all the time, ready to rock and roll, and it’s what we needed here,” he said.

“He’s just so positive all the time, just a lovable guy,” Bolles added, “You just want to play your heart out for him.”

Asked what he worked on in California with Wilson, he said it was mainly understanding each other. Bolles mentioned that he texts “all the time” with the QB and that “Russell is a FaceTime guy, so any time he has a question, he’s going to FaceTime me or send you a video, which is pretty cool.”

Bolles admitted that he’s picking Wilson’s brain apart. “I sent him a message, ‘What do you want in a left tackle?’ So we talked like that. I got to understand what he wants, what his expectations, and it’s up to me to provide those for him.”

Of course, the tackle didn’t share the quarterback’s response to that question, What are you looking for in a left tackle? He did, however, offer an idea of how he wants to be.

“He wants me to be a leader. He wants me to lead up front. He wants me to take charge. Wants me to do whatever I can, communicate down-and-distance, things like that,” Bolles explained, “He loves me. He loves the way I play football...we have a great relationship. I’m really looking forward to the future.”

No. 3 wasn’t the only player Bolles talked about, though. He described his own journey as an athlete, from his lowest mental point a few years back to how far his confidence has come. He now considers himself to be on track to become one of the best.

“In 2019 we played the Minnesota Vikings. I think we had a Bye Week before then. That whole Bye Week, I went home and power raked my entire parent’s lawn and just tried to figure out what’s best for me,” he confessed.

“I was just really angry and frustrated,” he added. “If you guys know me, I have to be perfect in everything I do. With having ADHD, your mind wanders all the time. You have to really find out what’s going on and settle down and do the pros and cons of what’s working and what’s not.”

He talked about hiring someone who was focused on mental health, and learning how to mature and be calm for the position. He remembered the greats — Joe Staley, Joe Thomas, Jonathan Ogden, namely — and he wanted to get into that mindset.

“Those guys compete at a high level, but they’re mature, and they’re calm, and they’re [composed]. I had to learn that.”

He then described an epiphany moment that game vs the Vikings when he realized he was exactly where he needed to be.

“I remember going into that game and I was blocking Everson Griffen, who’s a phenomenal player, and we were going at it all game long,” he recalled, “I think we were driving the ball with 1:30 left...and the crowd was getting loud, and I think that was a moment in my life where I realized that I belong in this league; I belong in that position.”

Asked about his impression of new Offensive Line coach Butch Barry, the tackle said they’ve met up a few times in this offseason and he feels like they have a great relationship. He likes the way the offense is set up, particularly being in the outside zone scheme.

“This whole coaching staff is all about love,” he explained, “I think that’s one thing that’s good for this whole organization is it’s about love. We’re going to bring that family atmosphere that we needed.”

The 2022 roster is shaping up to be an exciting one. We don’t have to call it a playoff team YET, but we also don’t have to count it out. The mutual respect among players here is going to be a major deal when it comes to producing results. I’m excited about the year ahead.