Dan Rogas, the first player from Port Arthur to be drafted by an NFL team who went on to greater success coaching Lamar’s golf team, died Tuesday at Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas. He was 91.

A two-way lineman, Rogas earned all-state honors and made the Blue-Grey High School All-American and Senior bowls from Thomas Jefferson’s 1944 2A state championship team that beat Doak Walker-led Dallas Highland Park, the second of two UIL title teams from Port Arthur. Jefferson, commonly referred to as Port Arthur in those days, outscored opponents by a margin of nearly 30-7, according to an obituary released by Lamar.

He then went on to Tulane and played for the Green Wave from 1947-50, according to a biography in the Museum of the Gulf Coast.

Rogas was drafted by the Cleveland Browns but was traded to the Detroit Lions for the 1951 season, where he blocked for Walker, and spent 1952 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He entered the coaching ranks as Lamar’s offensive line coach in 1955, a position he held through the 1971 season. Two players under his watch were first-team All-Americans, three were second-team All-Americans and 22 were named all-conference. Lamar also won the Southland Conference championship in 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1971.

But Rogas became best known for his success leading the Lamar men’s golf team, although he didn’t have any prior formal experience as a player or coach, by many accounts.

“He was given some very good advice,” said Mike Nugent, a member of Lamar’s two NCAA College Division championship teams (1967, 1968). “He wasn’t a golfer. From the standpoint of recruiting, he talked to all the golf pros about the area. They would tell him to go around the local schools and go for the No. 1 player from each team. He did just that.”

Rogas landed those No. 1s and added some junior-college players to build some of Lamar’s greatest golf teams. His first team in 1963 won the Lone Star Conference, which at the time was an NAIA league. The next year, Lamar competed in the newly formed Southland Conference and continued what would become a string of 11 league championships.

The Cardinals finished one stroke behind California State-Chico (commonly known as Chico State) for the 1966 NCAA College Division (now Division II) championship, but won the next two titles in more decisive fashion over Murray State and Middle Tennessee State, respectively.

Rogas earned national coach-of-the-year honors during the championship seasons.

“He was good to the kids,” Nugent said. “He created competition and got us in the right tournaments. The traveling team was the team that was playing the best at the time. Nobody wanted to miss that.

“When we were playing, it wasn’t a lot of intensive coaching at the time unless somebody went out to the local golf pro to check out his swing. The players helped out each other.”

Those who finished in the top 10 in the College Division championships were invited to play in the University Division (now Division I) tournament, although Lamar could not be counted in team standings. Nugent, a College Division All-American, was honorable mention PING All-American in 1967.

“Most of the guys on the team were Tyrrell Park guys,” said Dennis Walsh, a Groves native who also played on the two Lamar championship teams. “We did most of our golf at Tyrrell Park. It goes back a long way.”

Beaumont Police Chief Jimmy Singletary was another member of the two title teams, as was Mike Garrison. John Barlow, Larry Walsh and Larry Wiley played on the 1967 team, and Mike Allen and Jim Bishop were part of the 1968 team.

Rogas ended his coaching career with a Southland Conference title and coach-of-the-year accolades in 1981. (He was also Southland coach of the year in 1973.) Nine men won individual titles and 12 were named All-Americans under his watch.

Rogas moved into administration at Lamar as athletic business manager and director of the Cardinal Club, which he helped create, in 1972. He played a role in the design of the driving range and also served as president of the Young Men’s Business League.

Lamar inducted Rogas into its Cardinal Hall of Honor in 1986.

A gathering of Rogas’ family and friends will be held from 4-7 p.m. Friday at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Ave., Beaumont. Funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 680 Calder Ave., with interment to follow at Magnolia Cemetery, 2291 Pine St.

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews