DaytonDailyNews.com

Brock Bolen (Valley View) has been gearing up to play pro football since about the third grade. His parents even had him repeat eighth grade to give him an edge athletically going into high school.

So a little thing like not being drafted by an NFL team probably would not deter the 5-foot-11, 230-pound University of Louisville fullback.

"I may not be the fastest, the tallest or the biggest," Bolen said. "But nobody's going to outwork me or try harder than I'm going to try."

Bolen could go in the late rounds, but he's not been invited to the Feb. 21-24 scouting combine in Indianapolis, where the top prospects are poked and prodded. So it all comes down to Louisville's pro day March 26.

To prepare, and perhaps quicken his 40-yard dash, Bolen is working with trainer Dave Buchanan at a facility outside Chicago. It's a full-time job, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Bolen shares a condo with two other clients of agent Cliff Brady.

"We just go from one thing to the next — no breaks," said Bolen, who rushed for 6,099 yards at Valley View before beginning his college career at Illinois.

Only a few fullbacks are drafted each year. The rest scrap their way onto rosters during training camp after being signed as free agents. A scan of draft Web sites shows Bolen ranking anywhere from the third-best available to the 10th.

"I'm not going to believe what I hear," said Bolen, coming off a senior season in which he rushed for 505 yards and scored eight touchdowns. "I'm just going to control what I can control. All I really need is a chance."

New England and Miami have shown more than casual interest, said Brady, who represents numerous NFL figures, including Browns tackle Ryan Tucker and linebacker-turned-coach Bryan Cox.

"Will the kid be playing ball next fall? I say absolutely," Brady asserted. "As long as he doesn't have a terrible pro day, he'll be fine."

Bolen presumably inherits his toughness from his father, Jim Bolen, who earned awards for valor in Vietnam. A former boxer, bodyguard and professional soldier, the elder Bolen once appeared on the cover of Soldier of Fortune magazine.

"Dad's excited," said Brock, who turns 24 next month. "We're a football family. Hopefully, this is just one more step in my football career."

All in the family

The basketball-playing Shardo brothers (Versailles), teammates at Walsh University, are turning the American Mideast Conference player of the week award into a family treasure.

Point guard Jeremy is the latest winner after averaging 22 points and 10.5 assists in two victories during the period ending Feb. 1. Joe, a forward, won it the previous week.

Campus tour

• Justin Kronauge (Centerville) helped the top-ranked Ohio State men's tennis team advance to the 16-team National Team Indoor Championships last weekend. Kronauge clinched a victory over Stetson by winning at No. 2 singles. Against Virginia Tech, he and Matt Allare won their match.

• Mark Anderson (Dunbar) gets most of the basketball acclaim at Sinclair Community College, but freshman point guard Jana Gross (Bellbrook) is making an impact on the women's team, averaging 6.8 assists, third in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

If you have information about local athletes competing in college sports, send an e-mail to smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com or sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.