Tony Boles (born December 11, 1967) is a retired professional American football running back and kick returner who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). After starring for the Michigan Wolverines football, where he once led the Big Ten Conference in rushing, he went on to a scandal ridden life. His college football career was ended prematurely due to a knee injury. He has been sentenced to prison multiple times and placed in homes for addicts due to cocaine abuse.
Early years
Although Boles was born in Thomasville, Georgia and his family settled in Westland, Michigan when he was ten years old. He grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood where he was one of only four African Americans in the entire student body at John Glenn High School. He took a white woman to the high school prom, but was not allowed to enter her home. She had to pick him up for the prom. He also attended Marshall Junior High School.
In high school, he received All-American honors at running back, while setting eight team rushing and four team scoring records, including a career total of 3,139 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns on 495 carries. He led the school to its first playoff appearance. He also practiced basketball.
College career
Boles starred for coach Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan where he was twice named All-Big Ten on repeat conference champions in 1988 and 1989 and named the team most valuable player for the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. These were Schembechler's final two seasons at Michigan. With Boles, the team won the January 1, 1989 Rose Bowl, but with him on the sidelines they lost the January 1, 1990 contest. Boles shared the 1988 Big Ten rushing title with Anthony Thompson. Boles won the title for conference games only, while Thompson won the title for all games played. After redshirting in 1986, he was limited to 4 games by a hand injury, while playing primarily as a kickoff returner.
As a sophomore in 1988, he rushed for , finishing second in the Big Ten Conference and fourth in the Nation in rushing, becoming the tenth player in Michigan history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single-season. He also finished second in the conference with a 25.2-yard kickoff return average. Against the University of Wisconsin, he rushed for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns on only 10 carries. Against Wake Forest University, he had a career-high 213 rushing yards on 33 carries.
During the 1989 season, his carries were somewhat limited due to a pinched nerve. Entering the final game he had accumulated rushing in nine games on 130 rushes, Schembechler was starting to support his Heisman Trophy candidacy:
On November 18, he was seriously injured against the University of Minnesota, when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee, while Leroy Hoard replaced him for the final 2.5 games. Despite the injury-shortened season, he finished with 839 yards as the team's leading rusher and fifth in the Big Ten Conference. He also posed a big-play threat with runs of 91, 71, 64 and 46 yards as well as an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. His 91-yard touchdown run against Indiana University at the time was the second longest in school history, and his 85-yard kick return was the fourth longest and fifth kickoff return for a touchdown in Michigan history.
In 1990, Boles attempted a comeback as a wide receiver to no avail and spent his senior season in rehabilitation. Jon Vaughn and Ricky Powers carried the load at tailback in his place. In retrospect, Boles sometimes regretted not having gone to one of the historically black colleges and universities. He dropped out of classes because he says "didn't want to be crutching around campus" and he eventually stopped rehabbing his knee and became irregular with his workouts. After the injury, he dropped out of school and fell onto hard times.
Boles compiled 10 100-yard games while rushing for in two years at Michigan. In addition to playing running back, Boles excelled as a kick returner where he accumulated and a touchdown on 25 returns for a per return average.