[3] After graduating from Appleton in 1962, Bonk played freshman football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

[6] Bonk went on to play three seasons for North Dakota, and was described as "unquestionably an outstanding leader and premier football performer.

[7] As a senior in 1966, Bonk was named first-team Little All-American after averaging 11 solo tackles per game.

[2] Bonk was signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in April 1967.

[13] After finishing his football career, Bonk moved to California and worked at Sears for a time, before starting a swimming pool business, which he ran for over 40 years.