CINCINNATI — Minnesota Vikings rookie linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. affectionately refers to Lakota West football coach Tom Bolden as "Pops."
In a similar vein, Bolden, who coached Pace at Colerain, calls him "Son."
So it didn't take long after the Vikings' 3-0 win at Las Vegas Sunday night for Bolden to send a congratulatory text message to the 2019 Colerain grad.
Pace, a 5-foot-10, 231-pound undrafted rookie, had 13 tackles, one sack and an unforgettable game-sealing interception that resulted in a celebratory backflip in the end zone.
The former University of Cincinnati and Miami University star was named the Pro Football Focus Rookie of the Week.
"I just kept telling him how proud he keeps making me and that I loved him," Bolden said Tuesday morning. "When he got done with his interviews and all that I got a text back from him. He told me: 'Thanks, Pops. Love you too.' He knows I'm always here for him."
Family and friends will pay close attention to Pace on Saturday when the Vikings (7-6) visit the Bengals (7-6) at 1 p.m. on WCPO 9. Saturday will be Pace's 23rd birthday.
"He's just so tenacious," Bolden said. "He's always got the juice but there will be a little extra come Saturday."
That juice is evident in Pace's rookie season and going back to high school.
"Ivan has that unique ability to always sort of outshine what people think he can do," said former Colerain head coach Shawn Cutright.
Pace told reporters Sunday he isn't surprised by his success in his first NFL season.
"I got that 'dawg' in me, man — that's all I got to say," Pace said. "I know how good I am. I've been showing the world since I was young that I was good and now I'm here in the league and still proving it."
Pace wears the green dot, a sticker that a Vikings defensive leader has to signify the player who has an audio receiver to hear the defensive play calls.
"His ability to just continue to improve —- I think (inside linebackers coach) Mike (Siravo) deserves a ton of credit for the development of an undrafted free agent rookie that we're really lucky to have and quite honestly don't where we'd be without him," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told the media this week.
Pace's football journey is well-chronicled in Greater Cincinnati as a high school star who had just one scholarship offer from Miami University as a senior.
He played fullback in Colerain's triple-option offense along with linebacker and on special teams. He never wanted to be away from the field.
"When those lights come on and it's time to go he was always ready," said Cutright, who was Colerain's defensive coordinator when Pace played. "We were able and fortunate enough to have him on our team. We could just rush four with him included and drop seven and he was going to get pressure on the quarterback. It didn't matter who we played or where we played them at. Or the biggest game or the smallest game. He just had that motor."
During one particular practice, Bolden pulled Pace off a punt return to give him a rest. Pace walked in circles around Bolden until the coach relented and allowed the player back on the field.
"The trick I played on him the one time I told him, 'Listen the punter's leg is a little sore,'" Bolden said. "There is a good chance you might have to punt because he could actually kick a football really far. I said, 'You might have to punt this week. Why don't you take some footballs go down by the end zone and practice?' So that would be the ploy that I would use for him to stop giving me such a headache during the special teams period because we wanted to give him some rest."
Pace, the first unanimous All-American in the 135-year history of UC football, was the Ohio Division I state defensive player of the year in 2018. He helped to lead Colerain to the state final in Canton his senior season.
Faith and family played instrumental roles in Pace's inspiration at Colerain. That continues to include his parents, Ivan Sr. and Shellie.
Bolden said Ivan Sr. and Shellie instilled a significant work ethic into their son. It's no wonder why Pace is thriving in the spotlight. This time, it's the NFL audience.
"He just goes out there and gives you everything you got all the time," Bolden said. "Just has that extra, extra effort that a lot of people don't have. He's just tough. He's like this old-school throwback football player in this kind of new-school body. He is a 'dawg.' I've been calling him a dawg ever since he was in middle school; there is no question about that."
