Major: Marketing
Hometown: Enugu, Nigeria
Career Highlights: 1986 All American Recipient, 1986 University of San Francisco MVP, 1986 West Coast Conference MVP, four years Pacific Conference All-Tournament team, 1984 Saint Louis Puma invitational All-Tournament team, 1984 Indiana University Metropolitan life/Adidas All-Tournament team. USF Team captain in 1986.
Biography: Boardman was a four-year letter winner on the Hilltop. He was born in Nigeria, West Africa, and played for the Nigerian National Youth Team at a very young age, and in fact was the youngest player in the team. He was invited to the main team (Green Eagles) also at a very young age. After just a few short seasons Boardman received a full scholarship to study and play soccer at the University of San Francisco. Boardman played midfielder and defender under legendary coach Steve Negoesco and was named all-conference all four seasons on the Hilltop. He was an aggressive player who often would dribble the ball the length of the field and then find an open teammate for a shot on goal. Boardman was named team captain and team MVP in 1986.
Why Boardman Chose USF: “I choose USF because of the history of successes in soccer and education. I was offered a full scholarship in 1983 to attend USF.”
Did You Know?: Boardman was known for his “patented runs” up the field with the ball. Boardman, who played both midfielder and defender, often set up scores for teammates with his “runs” up the pitch. A former member of the Nigerian National Youth Team, Boardman learned the game playing barefoot. He was an All-Conference player all four years he played on the Hilltop and was named 2nd team All-American in 1986.
The USF Student-Athlete Experience: “I enjoyed being a student because of the USF quality education, soccer team, the players and the environment. I had the opportunity to meet students and staff from all over the world. I also enjoyed traveling and doing my homework while on the plane.”
Life After USF: After graduation from USF Boardman played professional soccer in Europe and the United States. In 1996, he was selected and offered a contract during the 1996 MLS startup. Boardman earned an MBA from Golden Gate University in 1991 and an MS also from Golden Gate University 2001. Boardman has worked for Kaiser, Stanford University and World Poverty Alleviation as Director of Finance and Administration. He started many businesses such as Glove Sponge and Global Integration and also coached youth soccer for many years. Boardman is the author of two books - The Millionaire In You and How To Become The Best In Everything You Do.
