NFL draft: New Broncos tackle Garett Bolles shares the stage with his infant son

When the tears started flowing around offensive tackle Garett Bolles’ table backstage at the NFL draft after he was selected by the Denver Broncos 20th overall, they weren’t coming from his 4-month-old son, Kingston.

They were coming from everyone else.

Bolles, who has a tremendous story of overcoming self-inflicted problems as a teenager, made young Kingston, dressed in a tiny-sized gray checkered vest and matching trousers, the star of his stage time. Carrying the infant in his massive hands, Bolles held him up, a la “The Lion King”, for the fans in Philadelphia to see.

Amazingly, Kingston took everything in stride. He stared at the massive screens at the back of the stage as his dad was greeted by commissioner Roger Goodell, and he didn’t fuss as his father wrapped the fresh-off-the-press orange Broncos jersey with their last name on the back around him for the cameras.

During an interview with NFL Network’s Deion Sanders, Bolles credited his son with changing his life, but he’s been working for years to turn his life around. As a teenager, Bolles used drugs, spent time in jail, was suspended or kicked out of five high schools and eventually was kicked out of his house by his father.

He got clean, was taken in by a surrogate family and did a two-year Latter-day Saints mission (in Colorado); he played two years at Snow College and then two at Utah, using football as a way to channel his emotions.

At the combine, Bolles said he wants to “put people in the dirt” when he’s on the field.

Bolles was the first offensive lineman chosen this year; it’s the lowest the first tackle has come off the board in the common draft era. Denver’s John Elway tweeted his thoughts on the pick:

More NFL draft coverage from Yahoo Sports:
• Dan Wetzel: How Roger Goodell saved the NFL draft
• Grading every pick: Who did the best in Round 1?
• Falcons’ pick wins draft night with emotional, expletive-laden interview
• Watson’s heartwarming moment after being drafted
• Raiders take risk, pick CB at center of rape investigation