According to University of Wisconsin running back Dare Ogunbowale, he takes the most naps out of anyone on the football team, and he said his teammates can attest to that.
But those naps are well-deserved, as on top of being one of the focal points for the Badgers’ offensive attack this coming season, Ogunbowale is working to help all UW student athletes find post-graduate life beyond sports.
Ogunbowale currently serves as president of UW’s chapter of Beyond the Game, which is an initiative to strengthen the post-graduation trajectories of student athletes.
When Ogunbowale initially got involved with the program, however, he saw that there was a lot that could be changed and improved upon.
“There was service, team building exercises and we had people coming in and talking about leadership,” Ogunbowale said in a press conference Monday. “But I felt we weren’t doing enough networking and getting the members of the group in front of people that could help us in the future.”
Those ideas to implement changes within the program propelled Ogunbowale to be the chapter’s newest president, and as a result, the program has gained a lot of traction from sports beyond the football team.
And given his experience on the football team as a now-undisputed leader on the field, Ogunbowale feels as though those qualities carry over into his work off the field.
“Being a leader in the locker room, I get into beyond the game,” Ogunbowale said. “I know I command the respect from the younger football players because I think they care about what I have to say, and then that carries over into the other athletes in the sessions.”
Knowing he now has the responsibility to serve as a positive influence on younger student athletes across the university, Ogunbowale has also made it a point to serve as a role model in all aspects of life.
“With Beyond the Game, just through trying to carry myself as a good person, I feel like I influence more than just the younger guys on my team,” Ogunbowale said.
But on top of guiding younger student athletes to a successful life post-graduation, Ogunbowale does still have himself to worry about as he enters his second to last season at Wisconsin.
As he’s helped others, he’s also helped himself in the professional world, and the redshirt junior has some promising career aspirations of his own.
“This summer I am going to intern with a financial firm,” Ogunbowale said. “I’m an economics major, so I plan to go into wealth management, and using the people I’ve met, hopefully I would like to work with athletes still. There’s still some certifications I have to get, but that’s my goal.”
