Nick Bolton mug

Nick Bolton

Courtesy of Kansas City Chiefs
Georgia Missouri Football (copy)

Mizzou linebacker Nick Bolton shows some emotion during the first half of the Tigers’ loss to Georgia on Dec. 12, 2020, in Columbia. Bolton will join the Mizzou Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame later this year.

L.G. Patterson/The Associated Press

Former Mizzou linebacker Nick Bolton is set to become the newest member of the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

The man to break the news to Bolton was Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who made a special announcement in front of the team at a recent offseason practice.

Mizzou confirmed Bolton’s addition to its hall of fame Monday.

“We know him as a team guy, the ultimate team guy,” Reid, a former MU assistant, said in a video released by Mizzou.

Bolton spent three seasons on the MU roster, racking up 224 tackles, 16½ for loss and two interceptions. He ended his career as a two-time All-SEC first-teamer and a second-team All-American.

The Chiefs drafted Bolton with the 58th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. During his time in Kansas City, Bolton has recorded 612 tackles, six sacks and five interceptions. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion who recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown in Super Bowl 57 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a three-year, $45 million contract extension in March of 2025.

The Mizzou hall of fame was founded in 1989 with the aim of honoring those who have made exceptional athletic contributions to the university. There have been roughly six inductees bestowed with the honor each year. Bolton is the youngest inductee to date, as the only member to play at Mizzou in the 2020s. In addition, he is the first inductee to be coached by Eli Drinkwitz.

Bolton will be joined by the rest of the 2026 class still to be announced, with the official induction ceremony likely to take place in the fall.