Kicker Gogolak hit height rarely seen

Other than Massena native Zach Bogosian, no north country athlete has ever been selected higher in a major professional sports league draft than Ogdensburg’s Charlie Gogolak.

Bogosian was the No. 3 overall pick in the NHL draft two years ago.

But back in 1966 Gogolak was the sixth player taken in the National Football League draft, when he was selected by the Washington Redskins.

Like his older brother, Pete, Charlie was a soccer player who moved to the north country just prior to high school after his family moved from Hungary during the country’s revolution.

OFA did not have a soccer team at the time, so the Gogolak brothers both became football kickers and introduced the soccer-style kick — which every kicker uses now — to the game in the 1960s.

Charlie Gogolak moved on to Princeton University after his career at OFA ended and finished with 27 career field goals, ranking fifth in school history.

He had a standout 1965 season, highlighted by a six field-goal game against Rutgers. He finished that year with 81 points and that led to his high selection in the NFL draft.

Gogolak continued his success at the professional level, scoring 105 points in his rookie season with the Redskins on 22 field goals and 39 extra points. He ranked third in the NFL in scoring that season.

Gogolak played two more seasons with the Redskins, then played three years with the New England Patriots, ending his NFL career in 1972 with 170 career points.

Gogolak, who was born in 1944, received a law degree from George Washington University during his Redskins playing days and recently retired from A.G. Edwards after making his career in the financial world.