 Bosseler with the Washington Redskins in 1958 | |||||||||
| No. 31 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Fullback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1936-01-24)January 24, 1936 Wethersfield, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | November 6, 2024(2024-11-06) (aged 88) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Batavia (Batavia, New York) | ||||||||
| College | Miami (FL) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1957: 1st round, 9th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
College Football Hall of Fame | |||||||||
Donald John Bosseler (January 24, 1936 – November 6, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins from 1957 to 1964. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected in the first round of the 1957 NFL draft with the ninth overall pick. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
Early life
Bosseler attended and played high school football at Batavia High School in Batavia, New York.[1]
College career
Bosseler was a four-year starter at fullback for the University of Miami. In his senior year in 1956, he helped the team to an 8–1–1 record, was named All-America by the Associated Press, and was MVP in the Senior Bowl. He rushed for 1,642 yards in his four years.[1]
Bosseler was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1970.
Professional career
Bosseler was drafted ninth overall in the 1957 NFL draft and played for seven seasons with the Washington Redskins before retiring. In 1959, he was named to the Pro Bowl.
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1957 | WAS | 12 | 10 | 167 | 673 | 4.0 | 28 | 7 | 19 | 152 | 8.0 | 25 | 0 |
| 1958 | WAS | 10 | 4 | 109 | 475 | 4.4 | 23 | 4 | 14 | 101 | 7.2 | 28 | 0 |
| 1959 | WAS | 12 | 9 | 119 | 644 | 5.4 | 41 | 3 | 11 | 47 | 4.3 | 10 | 0 |
| 1960 | WAS | 11 | 11 | 109 | 428 | 3.9 | 29 | 2 | 13 | 86 | 6.6 | 50 | 0 |
| 1961 | WAS | 12 | 11 | 77 | 220 | 2.9 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 94 | 5.9 | 18 | 1 |
| 1962 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 93 | 336 | 3.6 | 15 | 2 | 32 | 258 | 8.1 | 35 | 0 |
| 1963 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 79 | 290 | 3.7 | 18 | 2 | 25 | 289 | 11.6 | 61 | 0 |
| 1964 | WAS | 11 | 3 | 22 | 46 | 2.1 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 56 | 9.3 | 18 | 0 |
| 96 | 76 | 775 | 3,112 | 4.0 | 41 | 22 | 136 | 1,083 | 8.0 | 61 | 1 | ||
After football
After his football days, Bosseler briefly served as a radio analyst for Miami Dolphins radio broadcasts before joining Prudential Bache in Miami, where he became a vice-president.[1]
Bosseler died in Atlanta on November 6, 2024, at age 88.[2]
References
- ^ a b c "Don Bosseler". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ Mcpherson, Jordan (November 7, 2024). "Don Bosseler, Miami Hurricanes All-American fullback in 1950s, dies at 88". Miami Herald. McClatchy. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
External links
