[lawrence-newsletter]
Dare Ogunbowale’s Wisconsin career is one of the most unorthodox I’ve seen in years following the Badgers.
The Milwaukee native arrived on campus in 2012 and walked-on to the team as a defensive back and special teamer. Yes, he began his career at cornerback.
Ogunbowale red-shirted his first year in Paul Chryst’s program and went on to play in only two games at defensive back his freshman season in 2013, appearances during which he only recorded two tackles.
Two weeks into his sophomore season in 2014 Ogunbowale made the switch from defensive back to backup running back while still holding his position as one of the team’s leaders on special teams. This position change then went on to completely alter his football career.
The former Badger finished his sophomore year with nine stops on special teams (good for second-best on the team), 34 rushing attempts, 193 yards, a yards-per-carry clip of 5.7 and one touchdown.
Ogunbowale was then given a scholarship before the 2015 season and an increased role in Paul Chryst’s offense, one which was aided by starter Corey Clement battling injuries throughout the season.
His increased role and growing experience at the running back position led Ogunbowale to finish his junior campaign with 194 carries, 819 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 36 receptions for 299 yards and one receiving touchdown.
As a senior the Marquette University High School product was named one of the team’s captains and played in all 14 contests, recording 91 rushing attempts, 506 yards and five touchdowns in addition to 24 receptions, 208 receiving yards and one touchdown through the air.
Ogunbowale finished his college career with 319 rushing attempts, 1518 yards, 4.8 yards-per-carry and 13 touchdowns in addition to 60 receptions, 507 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. And, when it was all said and done, he was part of the most successful senior class in program history.
This production paired with his success on special teams led the running back to be invited to the 2017 NFL Combine.
Despite the combine invite Ogunbowale went undrafted during the 2017 NFL Draft and was first signed as an un-drafted free agent by the Houston Texans. He then was cut by the Texans in October of 2017, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in November, was released again in December, signed with Washington Redskins later that month, was released again in March of 2018 and, finally, was signed again by the Buccaneers in August before the 2018 season began.
After spending a full year trying to find a permanent home and another year trying to find playing time, Ogunbowale finally broke through this past season for the Bucs and finished the campaign with 16 games played, 11 carries, 17 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 35 receptions, 286 receiving yards and a clip of 8.2 yards-per-reception.
Most notably the former Badger was named special teams captain for Head Coach Bruce Arians‘ unit and found a starting role as a kick returner and special teams ace.
Ogunbowale is currently listed as the Buccaneers backup running back going into the 2020 season and is expected to continue to have a significant role for the team both offensively and on special teams.