One of the greatest tailbacks in Bowdoin football history, Joe
Bonasera graduated holding nearly every rushing record in school
history despite battling through seemingly ever-present injuries.
In his time as a Polar Bear, Bonasera rushed for more yards (1,545)
and scored more touchdowns (17) than any of his predecessors while
averaging nearly five yards per carry over the course of his
career. As a sophomore in 1970, he burst onto the scene with a
school-record 145 carries, 676 yards and nine touchdowns en route
to being named ECAC Sophomore of the Year and leading Bowdoin to a
6-1 campaign. He garnered multiple ECAC Player of the Week awards
in his career and was awarded the William J. Reardon Memorial
Football Trophy as a senior. After graduation, Bonasera signed a
free-agent contract with the New England Patriots, but was a victim
of the final round of cuts in the fall of 1973.
