--- title: NFL Player Garett Bolles wears his learning disability with pride description: Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos, who has a learning disability, will wear special cleats during an NFL game. His cause? Raising awareness about learning and thinking differences. slug: nfl-player-garett-bolles-wears-his-learning-disability-with-pride-to-support-the-1-in-5 author: Tara Drinks published: '2019-10-16T12:18:26.870Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/4exqwnrQ976fSmLz6TGUPt/b15bf5325b800b1cf72ba2c6b1b90f28/Celebrity_Thumbnail_16.png source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/nfl-player-garett-bolles-wears-his-learning-disability-with-pride-to-support-the-1-in-5 lang: en --- # NFL Player Garett Bolles wears his learning disability with pride This Sunday, December 3, standout rookie Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos will be sporting cleats with special meaning to the 70 million people with learning and thinking differences. It’s a part of the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative. Players get a chance to showcase a cause that’s close to their hearts (or feet!). Bolles will wear custom-designed cleats in support of Understood founding partner the [National Center for Learning Disabilities](https://www.ncld.org/). Bolles talked about his own challenges with a learning disability in a [press statement](https://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Broncos-showcase-designs-causes-for-My-Cause-My-Cleats/e4515494-42c6-4690-8e3a-0d81e79591b7). “Kids would make fun of me just because I couldn’t read and I couldn’t say certain words,” he said. “One in five kids … That’s not something we should overlook.” He’s not only giving back, he hasn’t been held back. The starting tackle was a first-round NFL draft pick and is the only rookie player on the Broncos to play every game this season. On [his Twitter account](https://twitter.com/gbolles72), Bolles provided a touching explanation for celebrating people who learn and think differently: > As someone who was told I’d never achieve my dreams because of a learning disability, I’m excited to use my cleats to raise awareness for [@ncldorg](https://twitter.com/ncldorg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)! They protect the rights of everyone with a learning disability, and I hope my cleats provide them with deserved recognition! [#ThankU](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThankU?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/DPBONNic71](https://twitter.com/gbolles72/status/936036296685846528/photo/1) > > > — Garett Bolles (@gbolles72) [November 30, 2017](https://twitter.com/gbolles72/status/936036296685846528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Bolles is one of many [athletes who have shared their struggles with learning and thinking differences](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/athletes-who-learn-and-think-differently). *Any opinions, views, information and other content contained in blogs on Understood.org are the sole responsibility of the writer of the blog, and do not necessarily reflect the views, values, opinions or beliefs of, and are not endorsed by, Understood.* --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [Video: Garett Bolles, NFL player who learns and thinks differently](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/video-garett-bolles-nfl-player-with-learning-and-thinking-differences) - Garett Bolles is an offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos. He also has learning and thinking differences. Watch as he shares his story and addresses three topics: How he copes with having ADHD, his advice for parents of kids with learning and thinking differences, and why hes on a mission to raise - [Oklahoma football falls short, but Erick Wren stands tall with his learning disability](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/oklahoma-football-falls-short-but-erick-wren-stands-tall-with-his-learning-disability) - Erick Wren believes you can achieve whatever you set your mind to, even if you struggle with learning differences. The starting center was a big part of the Oklahoma Sooners push for a national college football championship this season. Yet, Wren came to No. 2 Oklahoma without a scholarship. And he - [Students who learn and think differently share their New Year’s goals](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/big-hopes-for-2016-students-with-learning-and-thinking-differences-share-their-goals) - The New Year is a great time for kids who learn and think differently to set goals and get inspired about the future. We asked seven students in middle school through college to share their hopes for the upcoming year. The students are all part of the Eye to Eye mentoring network. Heres what they sa --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/nfl-player-garett-bolles-wears-his-learning-disability-with-pride-to-support-the-1-in-5#webpage","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/nfl-player-garett-bolles-wears-his-learning-disability-with-pride-to-support-the-1-in-5","description":"Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos, who has a learning disability, will wear special cleats during an NFL game. His cause? 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