Nick Bosa

Early life

Bosa attended St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was a four-year starter and a multi-year first-team all-state player. He was a five-star recruit and was ranked among the best players in his class. Bosa committed to Ohio State University to play college football.

College career

Bosa played in all 13 games as a true freshman at Ohio State in 2016, recording 29 tackles, seven of which were for a loss, and five sacks. His season would come to a close in a loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff.

As a sophomore, Bosa became the starting defensive end for the Buckeyes in seven games. He was named a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten Conference and the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year for his 32 total tackles (14.5 for a loss) and a team leading seven sacks. Bosa also had two pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries, and a blocked kick.

On September 1, 2018, against Oregon State, Bosa had two sacks and a one-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the 77–31 victory. On September 20, it was reported that Bosa underwent core muscle surgery, ruling him out indefinitely. On October 16, Bosa announced that he was withdrawing from Ohio State for the rest of the season. After the season, Bosa decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL draft.

Personal life

Bosa's brother, Joey, also played college football at Ohio State before being selected third overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2016 NFL draft. Their father, John, was a first round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1987 NFL draft out of Boston College. Bosa's uncle Eric Kumerow (also a first round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1988 NFL draft), cousin Jake Kumerow, grandfather Palmer Pyle, and great-uncle Mike Pyle, have also played in the NFL. Bosa is the great-grandson of former Chicago Outfit leader Tony Accardo.

During the 2024 season, after a 30–24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Bosa was seen wearing a white Make America Great Again hat with yellow text in support of Donald Trump at a postgame interview. Bosa said "I think it's an important time" for why he wore the hat. The NFL fined Bosa $11,255 after the game for wearing gear with non-sponsored branding, in accordance with the league rules. Bosa said "it was worth it" with regard to being fined. In July 2025, Bosa joined President Trump's re-established Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

Social media posts

Leading up to the 2019 NFL draft, in which Bosa was the second overall player selected, Bosa gained media attention for his posts, shares, retweets, and likes on Twitter and Instagram. In response, Bosa deleted them, which he discussed at the time in at least one interview with ESPN and one interview with USA Today. His posts criticized Beyoncé and the film Black Panther, for example, as well as supporting then-President Donald Trump. His controversial posts also included him calling former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick a "clown", perhaps for his behavior surrounding his protests against police brutality and racial inequality in the US, which he noted he "had to" delete because "there is a chance I might end up in San Francisco." After being drafted by the 49ers, Bosa apologized for the posts in a press conference.