Meet Rob Bolden. He’s a shy Penn State sophomore who isn’t just any regular student. Every Saturday, Rob suits up as one of the most coveted roles in college football: Penn State football’s starting quarterback.
After arriving on campus the summer before his freshman year, Rob beat out three others for the starting spot against Youngstown State last fall. Rob became the first true freshman quarterback to start under Joe Paterno since 1992. This Saturday, as a part of the timely tradition, Rob will be the first to step off the big blue buses at the stadium kicking off the highly anticipated PSU football season. Hailing from Detroit, Rob prides himself on being more than a football player.
This student-athlete loves to listen to music, go out with friends and play the drums. Her Campus was lucky to grab the star for a quick interview between classes:
HC: What kind of music do you like?
Rob: I listen to everything. I listen to hip-hop, R&B, I like slow jams every now and then.
HC: Who’s your favorite artist right now?
Rob: I’ve always been a Jeezy fan. Big Sean is from my city, so I’ve got to rep him too.
HC: Describe a typical day-in-the-life of Rob Bolden.
Rob: I usually start pretty early lifting or going to meetings. Then I go to classes, sometimes I have three a day. Right after that I have practice then I get some down time.
HC: Apart from football, what do you do for fun?
Rob: I go out and chill with my squad.
HC: Describe your favorite memory.
Rob: Just one? I think the most fun I’ve had was going to ‘Bama. It was a great experience going down there. As a freshman, not a lot of people get to experience that. Even though we didn’t win the game, I had a lot of fun there. I took a lot from it, I learned from it.
HC: What about a favorite memory other than football?
Rob: I had a lot of fun at my prom. It was the last time I got to see a lot of my friends from high school. We pretty much split from there. I didn’t get to go to any other activities because I left [my high school] early to come here.
HC: What do you want to do after college?
Rob: After college, I want to keep playing football. I want to own my own business. I’m a guy that likes to give back so I’d like to do some type of community service. I’m not sure, but that’s something I’d like to get into.
HC: Do you ever get recognized around campus?
Rob: I like to stay on the DL but everyday there’s always someone that says, ‘what’s up?’, or randomly nods at me. It doesn’t really bother me at all I’m cool with it.
HC: Who inspires you?
Rob: My inspiration is my dad. He’s been in my corner my whole life. My dad is not loud but he’s always been in my ear. He always makes sure that I’m on the right path.
HC: What’s something a lot of people don’t know about you?
Rob: Before I started playing football, I played the drums. It’s something I love to do. If I didn’t play football, I’d probably be a drummer. I still do it when I can, that’s something that a lot of people don’t know about me.
Thanks Rob!