Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – TJ Bollers is well-known as a football player.

That is what tends to happen when you are a four-star recruit with many of the top college programs in the country calling on you for the better part of your career.

A Wisconsin recruit widely considered one of the top defensive ends in the nation Bollers has spent the last six months helping orchestrate a culture change at Clear Creek Amana with his play off the football field.

Bollers was a big part of a breakthrough year for Clipper athletics.

A four-sport athlete throughout his career Bollers was a member of the Clear Creek Amana baseball team that placed third at the state tournament in March.

Last month he helped the Clippers reach the state baseball tournament for the first time ever.

With athletic expectations at an all-time high across the board Bollers hopes to translate that success to his specialty – football.

“The expectations here just keep getting higher,” Bollers said. “We have an expectation for us because we’ve had two boys sports in a row go to state and so now it’s the football team’s turn.”

The success of the 2019-2020 school year started last fall with a runner-up from the boys cross country team and included the Clipper girls basketball making its first every state tournament trip.

School-wide the culture is changing.

Bollers said he could feel the tide turning as far back as two years ago when the football team went 8-2 and reached the Class 3A football playoffs.

Success has followed as the change in culture has spread from sport to sport.

“That group of kids has had success from cross country to basketball to baseball and we are hoping that breeds success in the football program because it’s the same group of core kids,” Clear Creek Amana football coach Gabe Bakker said. “No pressure on us but as I was leaving the substate baseball game a lot of parents said to me, ‘You guys are next’. That’s the attitude that our families are starting to have and our kids are starting to have. You never know what’s going to happen with wins and losses but the energy about the place is changing.”

The energetic and upbeat Bakker has played a role in the changes within the football program.

So too has Bollers, a generational talent that turned down offers from powerhouse programs across the country, from Alabama to Stanford, before committing to the Badgers this spring.

“I can definitely feel the culture changing,” Bollers said. “I feel like we have the right kind of people playing the right positions and everyone is doing their job. They are accepting their role which is really big.”

After reaching the state tournament in basketball and baseball Bollers would like nothing more than to see similar success on the football field in his final prep season.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Bollers will be a center piece on both sides of the ball as Clear Creek Amana attempts to improve on its 5-4 record from a year ago.

Defense is where Bollers is at his best.

He made 29 tackles, including 19 solo stops and three sacks last season as a defensive end.

Bakker said the Clippers will move Bollers around a little on defense but he’s most at home with his hand on the ground.

On offense is where Bollers will be all over the field after catching 14 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns a year ago.

“Defensively we are going to try to move him around a little bit but he is most comfortable at defensive end,” Bakker said. “Offensively he is going to look like slot receiver and we are going to move that tight end spot around like an H back. We are going to try to move him around as much as we can because we have to utilize his athletic ability on that side of the ball.”

A four-year varsity contributor and full-time starter for three years the biggest asset that Bollers brings to the table may be his leadership.

That is an area he has worked hard to improve on since bursting onto the scene four years ago.

“I feel like a big thing for me is I have really been growing my leadership within this team,” Bollers said. “Not only to the varsity team but to the younger kids as well I feel like I’ve really taken on a bigger role as a leader for everyone.”

As Bollers worked to become a more active leader throughout the program Bakker has noticed.

“He’s grown a lot in the leadership aspect,” Bakker said. “Last year we started to see it but this year I think we are really going to see it on the field and in practice and in everything our kids do together.” ­­­
With 10 starters returning from last year’s 5-4 team there is plenty of reason for optimism.

Senior quarterback Ryan Navara returns with a year of experience under his belt.

The Clippers return a three-year starter up front in Arron Feinberg, its top rusher in Alex Figueroa and top two receivers in Tom Johnson and Harrison Rosenberg.

All that on top of a team filled with confidence and the expectations are at an all-time high.

“Making it far in the playoffs, going to the Dome that would be big time,” Bollers said. “Especially with how well we’ve been doing recently with sports like baseball and basketball.”

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.