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Did you ever see a football player get hit so viciously that you shudder?

Like, the guy gets hit so hard that your body is affected?

Well, there was this Nick Bolton hit.

It was back in 2019, when the Kansas City Chiefs’ current leading tackler was a Mizzou sophomore. The Tigers hosted Tennessee. The visiting Volunteers had the ball on the Mizzou 2-yard line. The direct snap went to receiver Jauan Jennings, who ran right and scampered toward the goal line. Unbeknownst to this poor fellow, the linebacker locked eyes on him. Bolton bolted to his left and violently crunched Jennings just inches from a touchdown. It wasn’t a tackle; it was a collision.

That was Nick Bolton, age 19.

And now, age 24, Bolton bruises ball carriers in the highest league.

OK, so he’s clearly not Kansas City’s most famous player. He is not even Kansas City’s best defensive player. And heck, watch some games or talk to superfans and you’ll learn about Bolton’s deficiencies in pass coverage. But Bolton is a blue-collar, indispensable part of the red-blooded Chiefs defense. He’s one of those old-school guys who would’ve fit in with the Hank Stram Chiefs.

He just hits.

Hard.

Stuffs the run. Stymies the opposition. And changes games.

Like, for instance, against Jauan Jennings’ team in last year’s Super Bowl.

Of course, the Chiefs are in this year’s Super Bowl — Kansas City will attempt to be the first team to win three straight NFL championships since the Packers did so in the 1960s. But last year, Bolton made a team-high 13 tackles in the overtime win against the 49ers, with two quarterback hits, too (Jennings, to his credit, caught a touchdown pass and threw one, as well).

Oh, and in Bolton’s first Super Bowl, he had a team-high nine tackles ... and scored a touchdown on a 36-yard fumble return.

Get him on the stage, and he’s trouble.

“Nick is the heart and soul of the Chiefs defense,” said former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Tim Grunhard, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, to the Post-Dispatch on Sunday. “His hustle and grit that he shows on every play exemplifies the steadfast play that (defensive coordinator) Steve Spagnuolo asks for — and receives from this unit, game in and game out. At the end of games, you can’t call up exotic defenses if you don’t have a unit that can execute the plan. With Nick as the green dot, Spags believes in the communication and believes that his coach on the field will get the unit in the right spot. That is invaluable. The guy just is a student of the game.”

Bolton’s Mizzou story is fascinating because he was just a guy until he became The Guy. A three-star recruit out of Texas, the 2018 freshman Bolton stood out with his special work ethic on special teams. He ended up playing in every game, corralling 22 tackles — but eight came in a game against No. 1 Alabama, after starter Terez Hall (also Bolton’s roommate) was ejected for targeting.

And in Bolton’s second season, his tackle total went from 22 to 107.

One hundred-and-seven!

In that 2019 season, Bolton had the standout hit against Tennessee, but his biggest impact was in a win against West Virginia. Bolton tallied 10 tackles — including three behind the line of scrimmage. Oh, and he made two interceptions, while returning one of them for a touchdown. No. 32 looked like Sean Weatherspoon out there.

He finished the season as an all-Southeastern Conference linebacker. And Pro Football Focus named him to its third-team All-America.

And Bolton stayed after coach Barry Odom was let go.

And as a junior in the 2020 COVID season, Bolton finished with 95 tackles in 10 games — and was a Butkus Award finalist. The Chiefs picked him in the second round of the draft. At this point, he’s a Missouri treasure.

This season, Bolton led the Chiefs with his 106 tackles, including two games with 11.

And in the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills, Bolton made six tackles and deflected a pass, while also returning mid-game from an injury. Oh, and perhaps you saw one of his tackles — the fourth-down stuff of quarterback Josh Allen that might’ve, maybe, could’ve been a first down.

This week, the Chiefs will be in the sports media spotlight. Patrick Mahomes! Travis Kelce! Chris Jones! Andy Reid!

But here’s thinking come Sunday, Nick Bolton’s name will earn an exclamation point.