Dartmouth, 1971
• 1970 First Team Academic All-America®
Willie Bogan was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 1989.
Willie Bogan, born in the small town of Albion, Mich., grew up to be a standout football player for Dartmouth University. He was part of what is arguably the greatest Dartmouth football team in the school history, helping the 1970 squad win the Ivy League championship and earn a spot among the top 13 teams in the nation. Along with winning the Ivy League crown, Bogan earned first-team All-Ivy, All-New England and All-East team honors.
In addition to his many accolades on the gridiron, Bogan also excelled in the classroom. Following his senior year at Dartmouth, he would go on to receive Academic All-American honors, a Post-graduate scholarship and achieve the honor of becoming a Rhodes Scholar.
The Baltimore Colts selected Bogan in the eighth round of the 1971 NFL Draft. However, he declined the offer to continue his studies by accepting the Rhodes scholarship and attending Oxford University in England, a school with great international and historical prominence.
After one year of studying at Oxford, Bogan returned to the United States and attempted the pursuit of his NFL dream. After being cut by the Colts because of nagging injuries, he signed with the New England Patriots who were aware of his talent on the field. However, more of the same continued on the injury front and he was eventually cut from the Patriots as well.
Upon completion of his NFL career, Bogan again turned to the classroom, where he went on to earn a law degree from Stanford University. After receiving his degree in law, Bogan went on to practice law in Los Angeles for 16 years. He never lost his love of sport through all of this; eventually offering his services to the Boys and Girls Club, providing pro-bono legal services to them while practicing in Los Angeles.
Bogan also was a member of the Los Angeles Urban League for seven years and the chairman of the Head Start committee for three years. Bogan’s work within his community would help lead to his 1989 induction into the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame.
He later served as Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary for Charles Schwab & Co. in San Francisco, Calif.