Spring Valley High School
Class of 1998
Phil Bogle was a force to be reckoned with from the first day he stepped on the football field at Spring Valley High School as a freshman. Phil was a four-year starter on the Spring Valley varsity team, first under Coach Percy Boykin and then Coach Joe Ruback. In 1997, Phil’s senior year, the Tigers were the champions of the Rockland County A schools, defeating everyone convincingly, winning the Section 1 Class A title over a powerful Roosevelt of Yonkers team in overtime and only having their season come to an end in the semifinals of the New York State tournament against perennial state powerhouse Troy High School. Spring Valley was 10-1 that season and Phil, the captain of the team, had a great deal to do with their success. For his efforts on the field Phil was selected All-County at offensive tackle, as well as All-Section 1 and All-State. He was elected to the New York State Top 100 team and was a participant in the New York-New Jersey Governors Bowl played in the springtime.
Phil rates that 1997 season as the highlight of his career at Spring Valley. He remembers the Tigers pounding out satisfying victories over rival large schools North Rockland, Clarkstown North and Clarkstown South. “We even played two tough opponents from Roosevelt and Gorton in the playoffs that we beat to move into the state semifinals,” he says. Spring Valley coaches who made a strong impression on Phil include Joe Ruback, Percy Boykin, Kevin Bullock, Chris Locurto and Vic Turselli. “I played with a special group of players on that ’97 team,” Phil recalls, including his brother, Jason Montanez, and teammates Ronaldo Attimy, Maikel Mehu and Roody Volcy, “who still to this day are my very best friends.” Out of all his highlight reel moments, the play that stands out most to Phil came in a big win against cross-town rival Ramapo. “We lined up in our Jumbo package where I played fullback,” Phil remembers. “After dragging a few defenders, I scored the first touchdown of my high school career.”
After graduating from Spring Valley, Phil enrolled at the University of New Haven, a Division II football power, on scholarship and at 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, he went on to have a tremendous career. Phil was a four-year letterman at New Haven and started every game. His last two seasons, 2001 and 2002, he was voted as one of the captains of the team. In 2002 Phil was selected as a Division II first team All-American and winner of the Jim Langer Award, which is given to the best offensive lineman in Division II football each year. As a graduating senior at the University of New Haven, Phil was selected as the Male Athlete of the Year in 2003. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at New Haven.
Phil was not selected in the 2003 NFL draft but was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent immediately afterward and made the team. During his rookie season Phil played at both offensive guard and offensive tackle. He started 13 of the 16 games that he appeared in and played a major part in running back LaDainian Tomlinson rushing for more than 1,600 yards. After sustaining a knee injury in the offseason Phil failed to make the active roster the following season but was signed to the practice squad. He was re-signed to the active roster early in the season after an injury to one of the other players but released by the Chargers in October of that season.
For the next nine years Phil actively pursued a professional football career on many levels. After the Chargers, Phil was signed by the Cleveland Browns, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent time with the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe and then his first stint with the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League in 2006. During that season, Phil started all 16 games and two postseason games for the Soul on his way to becoming the franchise’s first player to be named to the All-Rookie team and first team All-Arena in the same season. In 2008 Phil then went on to try making the NFL again with Tampa Bay but after being waived in August of that year he went back to the Soul for next season. In 2009 Phil tried his luck in the Canadian Football League and spent one season with the Montreal Alouettes and then moved on to the Dallas Vigilantes of the Arena Football League.
In 2013 as his playing career was winding down, Phil joined the coaching staff of the Philadelphia Soul. He was appointed as the team assistant head coach and line coach. He helped coach the team to the 2013 Arena Bowl and had the best offensive line in the league (fewest number of sacks) in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In 2016, the Soul elevated Phil to General Manager, and the team then captured back-to-back Arena Bowl championships in 2016 and 2017. In June 2018, Phil was hired as the Director of Game Operations for the National Football League in New York City.
Phil, who is 39, resides in New Jersey with his girlfriend, Samira Allen, and newborn son, Phillip Jr.
