James Bomba excited about opportunity with Hoosiers
It can be argued that nobody understands the Indiana football program and what it means to wear the Cream and Crimson better than James Bomba.
The former Bloomington South standout heard plenty of stories and saw the pageantry and Hoosiers up close with his father and grandfathers being a part of the Indiana program.
And, now, it is his turn, as Bomba has accepted a preferred walk-on with the Hoosiers. He will play tight end and told TheHoosier.com it was a "great" feeling to be a part of the Hoosiers.
"I have been one of Indiana football's biggest fans all my life and to be able to be apart of the team now is truly a dream come true. To add on top of that ,being able to be apart of one of the best tight rooms in the country and to be able to be coached by some of the smartest and most high character coaches makes it even better," Bomba said.
While some may feel pressure to continue the family legacy, Bomba says there is none with him.
"Coming into Indiana, I don't feel much pressure at all," Bomba said. "Being from this town and having a lot of friends and family here, I have felt nothing but support from all of them. Having that support takes the pressure away. It is very special to have family history here, and for me, to be able to carry that on.
"Indiana football means a lot to all of us. I don't feel any pressure the legacy. My grandfather's and dad have been my biggest supporters and my biggest critics my entire life and will continue to be no matter what the situation, so I wouldn't say it is much different from me playing in high school or younger ages. If anything, I have a chip on my shoulder because I want to do what they did and more."
The decision to join Indiana is a similar path to what his father took, as he joined the Hoosiers from a prep school and became a walk-on as well.
"He worked and grinded every day to be the best player he could be and ended up earning a scholarship and playing on one of the best defensive teams at Indiana University. He wound up playing in the East West Shrine Bowl game and made it to the NFL as a free agent. He is definitely an inspiration for me," Bomba said.
As a high school player in Bloomington, Bomba has seen the rise of Indiana under head coach Tom Allen and is looking forward to being a part of it.
"Coach Allen does it the right way. He wins the right way and that is what stands out to me. Something I will always remember is watching the Wisconsin game on television last year and seeing his post game interview on the field when all the players were interrupting him and celebrating with him. I rewatched that moment about 10 times and the only thing that came to my mind was, "Wow, that is something I want to be a part of," Bomba said.
As a preferred walk-on, Bomba knows he will have to earn everything, regardless of his last name, and that playing time will be decided on how hard he works.
He welcomes that.
"My mindset coming in is that I am excited to get to work and learn. I look forward to competing and developing physically. I am excited to work with Coach Wellman and his staff," Bomba said. "When my dad was the strength coach here, Coach Wellman was his assistant, so our connection goes way back. I plan to listen and learn from all the great players and coaches in the program and do whatever is asked of me. This season, I personally want to learn as much as I can and work my hardest to be the best player I can be every single day."
And, there is that uniform he cannot wait to put on.
"Cream and crimson is sacred in my family. I know that putting those colors on comes with a lot of responsibility and hard work. But, it will be a very special moment to put the jersey on for the first time and run out in Memorial Stadium with all my teammates."
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