Zak Boggs is on the verge of a big comeback. After playing for the USL PRO’s Charlotte Eagles in 2014, the Marietta, Ohio native has his sights set on a return to Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2015.
“From a physical standpoint, I’m fit and always improving on speed, quickness, and strength. Mentally, I’m in a constant state of readiness. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I am ready to be given a chance. My goal is to play like it’s my last game, every game, to keep the attention of the MLS clubs.”
He certainly has their attention after making quite a splash in his first tour in MLS. Everyone agrees that Boggs is not your typical soccer player.
Boggs scored two goals against the Columbus Crew in his first MLS start in May 2010, starting off his career with a bang in front of friends and family at Crew Stadium. He received the 2011 MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year Award after spending a year volunteering at the Children’s Hospital Boston, assisting with cancer research and visiting patients. He retired from the New England Revolution in 2012 to accept a Fulbright Scholarship to study medical sciences at England’s Leicester University.
He never truly left the game totally, finishing as the top scorer in the Leicestershire Futsal League. His individual performance helped his university team finish runner-up in the league and the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships.
And this is just the “tip of the iceberg” for Boggs, a person and a player of tremendous talent and depth. Put it this way, if Boggs is as a great a player on the field as he is a person off the field, then we are looking at the second coming of Pelé.
His time with the Revolution included 29 appearances with the MLS side, none bigger than his first start against the Crew. He was less than two hours from his hometown and he gave the friendly crowd quite a show. Few people get to experience something like that in front of family and friends, but Boggs did and it was a great way to start off a successful career in America’s top flight. Facing off against Ryan Giggs and Manchester United in a friendly was another exciting moment, an “out of body experience” as Boggs describes it.
Boggs is known for his hard work and tenacity and even more so for his versatility. He played a variety of positions in the Revolution’s 4-4-2 system, including right, left, and central midfield as well as right defender. In Charlotte he would play all three forward positions in a 4-3-3.
A major league skill set is certainly part of Boggs’ game.
“The timing of my runs and how I use the spaces in front of and in behind the other team’s defense is an art. Combined with my technical ability to make quick passes, I keep a high tempo off the ball that unbalances defenses.”
And he gives much credit for his success to two former coaches, Don Fosselman (Parkersburg HS) and Tom Durkin (IMG Soccer Academy).
“I come back and visit the PHS soccer program whenever I get the chance. Coach Fosselman has built a dynasty that fosters tradition. Upon entering the locker room you are greeted by pictures of former Big Red All-State and All-American players and pictures of state champion teams. Player and team accolades are displayed for all to see and for current players to aspire to. So the challenge is clear and every season the team goal is nothing less than a state championship.”
And Durkin provided a professional environment for Boggs, one that allowed him to prepare for a career as a professional player. A demanding schedule that mimicked that of the professional leagues was one piece of the puzzle.
“We played against older players in training and in games. We were exposed to high level competition. During my first month at IMG, we beat the Brazilian youth national team and tied the US U-17s.”
But it was his commitment to matters off the field that made Boggs one of the most giving players in MLS. His volunteer work began in college, spending time at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Shriners Hospital. He would move on to a Boston Hospital when New England drafted him in the second round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
Under the supervision of Dr. Marsha Moses, Boggs volunteered in the hospital’s research laboratory each week, assisting in efforts to identify potential cancer diagnostics and prognostics and cancer-indicating proteins in the body. He was also a regular visitor to the hospital during the Revs’ monthly team visits. Boggs was first recognized for his efforts as the MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Month for June 2011.
Receiving a Fulbright Scholarship was no surprise as Boggs was previously nominated as a Rhodes Scholar candidate. He graduated USF with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences with a 4.0 GPA and a master’s degree in marketing. Arguably Boggs was one of the brightest individuals to ever step on the pitch as an MLS player and followed in the footsteps of Zack Simmons, who left the Revs in 2009 to attend law school at Yale.
While at USF, Boggs had nine goals and six assists in 44 games in two seasons, where he helped lead the team to their first-ever BIG EAST championship in 2008. He won the 2010 Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Award, BIG EAST Conference Male Scholar-Athlete, and was an ESPN First Team Scholar All-American. He also played one year at West Virginia University and another at University of Central Florida. In total he had 18 goals to go with eight assists.
Boggs has already had an incredible career in soccer and there is so much more to come. We’re talking about an awesome combination: a player who can score the game-winning goal and a person who can literally help find a cure for cancer.
He is a one of the true “good guys” in the beautiful game and all of us here at ISN are rooting for him. We are excited to see what he can do on and off the field, building an even greater legacy for himself and MLS as a whole.
