Professional career

Boswell grew up in Tampa, Florida and played college soccer at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, but was not drafted by an MLS club in either the 2005 MLS SuperDraft or the Supplemental Draft. However, after impressing during the pre-season, he was signed by DC United as a discovery player and earned a starting spot in the club's defense after Bryan Namoff had to miss the beginning of the season due to injury. He started the season well, but set the league record by scoring three own goals in a season.

During the 2006 MLS season, Boswell was the starting centerback for DC United, who finished the with the best regular season record and won the Supporters' Shield. Boswell was named an All-Star, and he started and played the entire All-Star match in the 1-0 victory over Chelsea, the defending English Premiership champions. He was named DC United's 2006 Defender of the Year and Humanitarian of the year. He was also named the 2006 MLS Defender of the Year and selected as a member of the Best XI.

International career

In January 2006, Boswell was called into his first training camp for the US national team. He earned his first cap on February 19, 2006, in a 4-0 victory against Guatemala.

Other

Boswell was named one of the 50 Hottest Bachelors in the November 2006 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine, where he was Mr. Virginia.

As a child, Boswell appeared on the Nickelodeon TV show GUTS as Bobby "Lightning" Boswell. At one point, he struggled to kick a soccer ball placed on a pedestal into a goal, missing the ball repeatedly, but still ended up winning the event. Bobby is the son of Susan and Charles "Ted" Boswell, also related to Allan "David" Boswell, and William "Tad" Boswell, along with the rest of Tad's children, Brad and Sabrina Boswell. His older brother, Billy, also played soccer at FIU. Their cousin is "Frasier" actor Adam Blake Boswell

In 2007, Bobby launched his personal web site, http://www.bobbyboswell.com.

On December 11, 2007, D.C. United traded Bobby to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for goalkeeper Zach Wells.