Earning his name

The six letters stitched to the back of his jersey followed him everywhere, from high school on to college.

Everyone knew about Anquan Boldin, the Florida State product starring with the Arizona Cardinals.

This season, though, D.J. Boldin made a name for himself at Wake Forest.

The fifth-year senior collected an ACC-best 77 catches as Wake Forest (7-5) secured a spot opposite Navy (8-4) in Saturday’s EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium.

Mention his famous sibling, and D.J. Boldin grins. The two are close, and D.J. didn’t wait to hear from his brother before calling to congratulate him on his Pro Bowl selection earlier this week.

This fall, though, was the first time in a while D.J. was on the receiving end of many laudatory calls despite the well-known surname.

“I never escaped that — Anquan Boldin’s little brother,” Boldin said. “Expectations were high from me, and I’m pretty sure they were high from everybody else. I just tried to live up to those expectations a little early. I had to wait my time.”

Not that it was easy. Boldin won a state championship at Pahokee (Fla.) High School and was cocky enough to think it would be just as easy when he arrived at college. Instead, like nearly all other Wake Forest freshmen, he redshirted.

He became defiant as he grew older, a byproduct of growing up in a household with his mother as the only parent, he said. Toss in his brother’s burgeoning success, and there was a less-than-ideal mix for any 18-year-old to deal with.

“When he came to us, he was really kind of a knothead,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “He was kind of spoiled. He was Anquan’s little brother and I think he thought that meant something. It took him a couple seasons to realize being Anquan’s brother didn’t make him a good player. [But] he’s been one of my favorite guys.”

D.J. Boldin’s transformation began after sitting out his sophomore season, though it wasn’t easy to tell after he snared only 11 receptions last season. But with the graduation of Kenny Moore, who shattered the school record for receptions in a year, an opportunity surfaced this season.

It was crucial he took advantage of it. With Wake’s rushing game fading to its lowest per-game average in a decade, the Demon Deacons needed the 6-foot, 220-pound Boldin to emerge as a reliable target for junior quarterback Riley Skinner.

“We knew he always had sure hands,” Skinner said. “Obviously, he’s a big guy. Physically, he can match up with anybody. I was really excited working with him over the summer. Coming into the season, I thought it was going to be pretty special.”

So too did Grobe, who didn’t foresee the gaudy receptions totals but believed Boldin would prove valuable as the Demon Deacons chased their third straight bowl berth. From his blocking to his precise route-running to a level of toughness Grobe believes is unsurpassed among Wake’s offensive players, Boldin had a chance to make a difference.

Yet even he is a little surprised how significant he became. Boldin is tied for seventh on the ACC’s single-season receptions list after nearly tripling his career total of 26 entering this year.

“I really couldn’t [see it] coming off an 11-catch season, but the offensive coordinator [Steed Lobotzke] told me he was going to get the ball to me, and Coach Grobe told me he was going to send me out with a bang,” Boldin said. “They held onto their word.”

Boldin, meanwhile, accomplished something important as well. His exploits speak for themselves and could earn him a professional opportunity, just like his brother received.

“It means a lot, just having that last name Boldin,” D.J. Boldin said. “I always felt I was going to get that opportunity. But to have to a season like this to prove that I’m not just his little brother and I can play football also, I really think that opened eyes up to NFL scouts.”