When former Denver Broncos safety Omar Bolden was just a child, his father tried to keep him away from his aspirations to be a pro football player. However, unaware of the sport’s physicality, his mother pushed his son to follow his dreams. Just four years into his NFL career, that same physicality caught up with him, forcing him to eventually retire. Eight years later, Bolden is accepting just how cruel this game of football can be.

“I played in the NFL for 4 seasons, made the playoffs every year, so I know how intense it gets,” wrote Bolden on his Threads account. “I’ve been retired 8 years and now I’m just a fan, but I find myself flinching at some of these hits 😬 Football is so entertaining from the couch… and so dangerous for the men actually playing. I LOVE the game. Always have. Just wild how our perspective shifts with time.”

Bolden was drafted by the Broncos in 2012, the year when quarterback and NFL legend Peyton Manning joined the team after returning from his injury. In fact, the QB was the first person to call him, and the only message he sent Bolden was that they would be bringing a Super Bowl trophy to the city. No doubt, Bolden suited up for many playoff matchups for the Broncos.

In his four seasons under the banner, he had six postseason appearances. He has also played in the team’s Super Bowl 48 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. In the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 campaign, though, he suffered the worst injury. In their AFC divisional round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bolden suffered a PCL strain on punt coverage, with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. He sat out the rest of the game and, ultimately, the season. The Broncos won the game 23-16 and eventually went on to win the Super Bowl that year.

Over the years, Bolden was only inactive for one game in 2014 until his final season in Denver. In 2015, he was not available from Week 2 to Week 4. He also missed the final four regular-season games for the team until he was out of the season in the divisional clash. Probably the reason why, once his rookie contract was up, the Broncos announced him as a free agent.

He ultimately landed on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad. However, he never really recovered from his knee injury. In October 2017, he retired.

Since getting drafted as the 101st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, he played 56 games for the Broncos. He also got one start in 2013 in Week 15 against the then San Diego Chargers.

He recorded 44 kick returns for 1085 yards, averaging 24.7 yards/KR and 24.6 yards on five punt returns. The latter included an 83-yard touchdown against the Indiana Colts in Week 9 of his final Broncos season.

The former safety was one of their top players in 2014, averaging 33.0 yards on 13 kickoff returns. Yet he never reached his peak and had to retire before turning 30. Luckily, he discovered his passion for social media and has been continuing with it.

Omar Bolden is reinventing himself with his new career

Omar Bolden’s career switch is as smooth as his 83-yard touchdown. During his NFL days, he started the movement, Positive Living. It was also announced that a Positive Living Award would be awarded before every Broncos home game for the 2015 season. The winners would get two game tickets, pregame field passes, and Positive Living wristbands.

“Shedding light on the good in the community is something I believe needs to happen more frequently,” Bolden said, via the official site of the Denver Broncos. “Everyone may be in a different corner, but we’re all fighting the good fight.”

Following his retirement, he got involved with it further. Bolden is a certified fitness coach and entrepreneur who also founded The Culture’s Herb in late 2024. The Cultures Herb is a brand that focuses on acupuncture and herb-based cures, trying to blend them with science. He even partnered up with the brand The Farmer’s Dog in early 2025.

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Bolden has a YouTube channel with more than 7K followers. He regularly posts healthy lifestyle videos of workouts or suggests the perfect meal to stay in shape. Omar Bolden has more than 250k followers on Instagram and has developed a strong social media presence.

He has taken to talking about social issues, too. Be it Colin Kaepernick kneeling or NFL players protesting during the National Anthem, he speaks from the perspective of both sides. Bolden has adapted well to his new life. Amid all this, the former safety will also be rooting for the Broncos, hoping to end their decade-long Lombardi Trophy wait.