Dave “Moose” Bosson’s final team huddle is set for Saturday, March 5 in Montclair, New Jersey.

The former National Football League player, who later led the heyday of real estate development sales at Copper Mountain Resort in the ’80s and ’90s, died Jan. 1 at 76.

Moose played on the 1961 Duke University football team that won the 25th Cotton Bowl Classic. He had recently celebrated and was recognized at his 55th Cotton Bowl reunion with one of his sons, Curt, and teammates from the 1961 Duke team.

Recently, Moose was making plans to again live in New Jersey.

He was raised in Montclair and attended Clifton High School, where he was in the Clifton High Hall of Fame for his achievements in athletics.

Moose’s pro playing career included stops in the Canadian Football League, the Boston Patriots — today the New England Patriots — and New York Titans, now the New York Jets.

“I was cut, traded and decapitated from four teams in four and a half years,” he would say. “I got injured early on and became a journeyman lineman.”

Despite his short playing career, what Moose learned in football extended off the field to help him in his business career that spanned 40 years developing world-class real estate resorts across the country.

He managed resort development in Hilton Head, South Carolina; Colorado’s Copper Mountain and Cordillera; Pinehurst, North Carolina; and Aspen, among other locations.

Moose was a regional director with the Ritz Carlton Destination Club. He also owned Bosson Real Estate in Aspen and Pinehurst.

At Copper, Moose worked for presidents Andy Daly and Harry Mosgrove.

He headed a team that included New Jersey buddy Mike “Mikey” Curry, a former collegiate wrestling coach, and National and Colorado Ski Hall of Fame member Clif Taylor.

With their athletic world connections, Moose and Mikey staged annual fundraising events under the banners of the John Elway Celebrity Ski Race and the Golf/Trout Tournament, with the assistance of marketing aces Kelley Davidson, Lucy Kay and Bill DeForrest.

These events drew the likes of Elway — personally coached by Dave “Petey” Petersen — and his fellow Broncos Karl Mecklenburg, Tyrone Braxton, Gary Kubiak, Steve DeBerg, Rick Dennison, Wade Phillips and Fran Lynch, Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame fullback Jimmy Taylor, Chicago Bears’ coach Mike Ditka, Nuggets’ coach Doug Moe, NBA star Johnny Kerr, Olympic bicyclists Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter, MLB star Whitey Ford, Olympic skier and bronze medalist Jimmie Heuga, Breckenridge speed skier CJ Mueller, fly-fishermen Mike “Beefy” Levine, Jackson Streit, Van Rollo and Pat Dorsey and Denver Post outdoors writer Charlie Meyers.

Writing of Moose the other day, Mikey Curry says:

“Moose was one of a kind and a great friend. We were lifeguards together and spent many fun years together. On New Year’s Eve I had friends over for cigars and drinks — many laughs. We called Moose and wished him happy birthday and New Year. Moose passed away shortly after, but we were blessed to speak with him one last time. As we all go through life we leave footprints in the sand of life. Moose left craters with his friends, family and will be missed. I miss him, but have many memories.”

Mikey will provide other colorful insights on Moose at the memorial service, where a large turnout is expected — then it’s off to Tirerny’s Tavern.

Echoing similar thoughts, Harry “The Moz” Mosgrove writes:

“I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and former associate at Copper Mountain, Dave “Moose” Bosson. Moose was bigger than life and will be missed by his many friends and family.”

Moose is survived by three sons: Erik and wife Janelle, Curt and Cole; brother Bill Fischer and nephews Carl and Steven Bosson.

His memorial service will be held at Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair on March 5 at 11 a.m.

Messages may be delivered to the family via email at MoosesMemorial@gmail.com.

Miles F. Porter IV, nicknamed “Spike,” a Coloradan since 1949, is an Army veteran, former hardrock miner, graduate of Adams State College, and a local since 1982. An award-winning investigative reporter, he and wife Mary E. Staby owned newspapers here for 20 years. Email your social info to milesfporteriv@aol.com