Bo Bolinger

{{Short description|American football player, coach, and scout (1932–2011)}}

{{Infobox CFL biography

|name=Bo Bolinger

|image=Bo Bolinger.jpeg

|import=Yes

|position1=Guard

|birth_date={{birth date|1932|12|26}}

|birth_place=Oklahoma, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|2011|8|5|1932|12|26}}

|death_place=Tempe, Arizona, U.S.

|number=79

|college=Oklahoma

|high_school=Central (Muskogee, Oklahoma)

|height_ft=5

|height_in=11

|weight_lbs=205

|NFLDraftedYear=1956

|NFLDraftedRound=13

|NFLDraftedPick=149

|NFLDraftedTeam=Chicago Cardinals

|playing_years1=1956

|playing_team1=Edmonton Eskimos

|career_highlights=

National champion (1955)
Consensus All-American (1955)
2× First-team All-Big Seven (1954, 1955)

}}

Virgilee Clinton "Bo" Bolinger (December 26, 1932 – August 5, 2011) was an American football guard who played one season with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) in the thirteenth round of the 1956 NFL draft. Bolinger played college football at the University of Oklahoma and attended Central High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He was a consensus All-American in 1955.{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/bo-bolinger-1.html | title=Bo Bolinger | publisher=Sports Reference LLC | work=sports-reference.com | access-date=17 August 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://newsok.com/former-ou-star-bo-bolinger-dies/article/3592610 | title=Former OU star Bo Bolinger dies | publisher=newsok.com | date=August 6, 2011 | access-date=17 August 2014 | author=Tramel, Berry}}{{cite web | url=http://www.soonerstats.com/football/players/details.cfm?PlayerID=142#.U_DUMPldVuw | title=Bo Bolinger | publisher=soonerstats.com | access-date=17 August 2014}}{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/52286744/ | title=The Kansas City Times | date=November 17, 1955 | access-date=17 August 2014 | pages=28}}

Bolinger also served as a football coach and scout for various organizations.{{cite web | url=http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Bolinger-Passes-Away/ed35f741-cb13-4b80-b277-cef134967970 | title=Bolinger Passes Away | publisher=azcardinals.com | date=August 8, 2011 | access-date=17 August 2014 | author=Urban, Darren | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082235/http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Bolinger-Passes-Away/ed35f741-cb13-4b80-b277-cef134967970 | archive-date=19 August 2014 | url-status=dead }}

Early life

Bolinger played football at Central High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He was a member of the "B Boys" that included Kurt and Robert Burris and Max Boydston. They had all played high school football together and went on to play for the Oklahoma Sooners.{{cite web | url=http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=208798482 | title=All-American: Bo Bolinger | publisher=soonersports.com | access-date=17 August 2014}}

College career

Bolinger was a Consensus All-American and ninth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1955.{{cite web | url=http://newsok.com/ou-football-remembering-the-muskogee-boys/article/3773790 | title=OU football: Remembering the Muskogee boys | publisher=newsok.com | date=August 10, 2011 | access-date=17 August 2014 | author=Tramel, Berry}}{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1955.html | title=1955 Heisman Trophy Voting | publisher=Sports Reference LLC | work=sports-reference.com | access-date=17 August 2014}} He was member of the 1955 Oklahoma Sooners national championship team.{{cite web | url=http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/sports/x850292771/Bolinger-one-of-famed-B-boys-dies-in-Arizona | title=Bolinger, one of famed 'B boys,' dies in Arizona | publisher=muskogeephoenix.com | date=August 7, 2011 | access-date=17 August 2014 | author=Brooks, Kenton}}

Professional career

Bolinger was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL with the 149th pick in the 1956 NFL draft.{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1956/draft.htm | title=1956 NFL Draft | publisher=Sports Reference LLC | work=pro-football-reference.com | access-date=17 August 2014}} He spent the 1956 season with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.

Coaching career

Bolinger was head coach of the Miami High School football team in Miami, Oklahoma in 1957. He was coach of the offensive and defensive lines at the University of Denver from 1958 to 1960. He was defensive coordinator at the University of Tulsa from 1961 to 1962. He was offensive and defensive coordinator for the University of New Mexico from 1963 to 1967. Bolinger was the offensive coordinator at Utah State University in 1968. He then spent two seasons as offensive line coach of the Calgary Stampeders.{{cite web | url=http://www.titansonline.com/team/staff/bo-bolinger/b7f1aea7-3e53-47b2-a04c-9f3be723b3e5 | title=BIOGRAPHY | publisher=titansonline.com | access-date=17 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085501/http://www.titansonline.com/team/staff/bo-bolinger/b7f1aea7-3e53-47b2-a04c-9f3be723b3e5 | archive-date=19 August 2014 | url-status=dead }}

Scouting career

Bolinger joined the Arizona Cardinals in 1971. He was Director of College Scouting from 1994 to 1997 and Senior Scout from 1998 to 2000. He then served as a scout for the Tennessee Titans for eight seasons.