Serra QB Bottari picks Bulldogs

Yet, come National Letter of Intent signing day on Feb. 6, when other local standouts were officially committing to NCAA Division I colelges, Bottari had zero Division I offers.

“How many Division I offers, or how many offers I may have doesn’t define me as a player,” said Bottari, whose height is listed at 5-11 on Serra’s 2018 roster. “The only one who can define me as a player is me.”

Now, Bottari has enrolled at College of San Mateo, where he intends to begin official spring workouts April 8. With the Bulldogs, he will aspire to follow in the footsteps of other undersized quarterbacks who have transferred to Division I programs in recent years, including Dru Brown (Hawaii), Ryan Brand (Maryland), Miles Kendrick (Kansas) and, most recently, Kamalii Akina, who at 5-11 recently transferred to Hawaii.

On NLI day, Bottari had just one offer to play at a four-year, this from the NAIA program at College of Idaho. He was also admitted academically to University of Oregon, University of Washington, University of Utah and Montana State; none of the four Division I schools, however, would have allowed him to continue his football career.

So, after weighing several community college possibilities, Bottari opted to stay close to home at CSM, where six Serra graduates were on roster last season.

“He’s committed to us and we’re really excited,” CSM head coach Tim Tulloch said. “He just brings so much to the table. He obviously did so much on the field at Serra … but so much of who he is and what he is is off the field.”

Off the field, Bottari founded the non-profit organization Play 4 Prevention prior to his junior season. Later in the year, he was honored by the U.S. Marine Corps as a Bay Area Semper Fidelis All-American.

On the field, he paired with Leki Nunn at quarterback in 2016 as Serra advanced to the CIF Division 2-A State Championship Bowl, where the Padres lost 42-40 to Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth. In 2017, with Nunn graduated and moving on to a Division I opportunity at San Jose State, Bottari helmed a mighty Serra offense back to the State Championship Bowl stage, where this time the Padres captured the Division 2-AA title.

2017 was a record-shattering year the Padres, who set the program record for offense for the second straight year, marching for 6,474 total yards. Bottari was at the forefront, setting single-season records for passing yards (2,770), pass attempts (281), and pass completions (203). Serra does not list records for completion percentage, but Bottari’s mark of 72.2 percent in 2017 is certainly up there.

Whereas Nunn, at 5-11, possessed the athletic speed to convert to wide receiver at San Jose State, Bottari isn’t quite as fast. He has direct foot speed, but not the speed agility to play another skill position.

“I think I could play at the highest level, so quarterback is where I’ll stay,” Bottari said. “I’ll work on the things I can control and see where it leads me.”

Bottari draws inspiration not just from Nunn, but from another former San Mateo County standout that didn’t garner any Division I consideration out of high school — New England Patriots slot receiver Julian Edelman. At 5-10, Edelman was also a high school quarterback, leading Woodside to the 2004 Central Coast Section Medium School championship.

Edelman also started his collegiate career at CSM before transferring to Kent State.

“I think it’s a testament to how much he loves the sports of football and how much work he’s put in,” Bottari said. “After being under-recruited, I look to take after him and the work he’s put in.”

While CSM’s depth chart at the quarterback position is solid — including incoming sophomore Terrell Carter, who transferred from San Jose State at the start of 2018 — Bottari’s future is under center.

“Oh yeah, he’s playing quarterback for us,” Tulloch said. “He’s a special one. He’s one we’re really excited about.”