We have many reasons to thank Trevor Wilson.
He and his wife, Carla, produced a special son, that's the best reason.
But maybe number two on the list is his persuasiveness.
When his son wanted to call it quits and come home, he talked him into staying.
Great advice.
That advice is why Logan Wilson has become one of the very best linebackers in Wyoming football history.
"We had a lot of things going on within my family at that time," Logan recalls of those early, dark days as a true freshman back in 2015. "It began while I was getting ready to come here for college. Here I was in Laramie, starting football and college, but I thought I should be at home. I was really torn, I didn't know if I could help the situation but I wanted to try.
"I just had a lot going on. I would call my dad literally in tears. I didn't know what I was going to do. One day I called him and told him I decided to come home and go to Casper College. He told me that if I quit, I would regret it for the rest of my life. That really got me to thinking. I'm 110 percent glad I stayed."
So is every Cowboy fan in America.
"I owe so much to my dad for that advice. He and Coach (Craig) Bohl saved me. Coach knew I was struggling and around the Fourth of July of my freshman year, he sat down with me, and we had a long talk. It was so helpful, and I'll be forever grateful to him."
We all know what Logan has accomplished since. As the Cowboys enter the 111th Border War tomorrow night, he is fourth on Wyoming's all-time career tackles list. He is fifth on the all-time Mountain West list. He is second in the nation in tackles among active players, and is tied for first among active FBS players in defensive touchdowns scored. One of those came just last week at Utah State.
He's also is a three-time team captain which speaks volumes about his character and leadership.
Wilson just accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl which is a huge step towards his goal of playing in the NFL. He's also one of the nation's 12 best linebackers who are in the running for the prestigious Butkus Award which honors the country's top linebacker.
Maybe best of all, he's one of Wyoming's own. Wearing the Brown and Gold is everything to him.
"I feel totally blessed to have been a part of all this," he says. "I can't put into words what it has meant to me. I think most every kid in Wyoming dreams of putting on those colors. I think it's just a little more special to us than to the rest of our teammates."
Logan was in the secondary when he was winning state championships at Casper Natrona. In fact Wyoming actually recruited him as a safety.
He knew better.
"I had a feeling that Coach Bohl knew all along he was going to make a linebacker out of me. Heck, it didn't matter to me. Honestly it didn't matter. I was ready to do whatever they wanted me to do to help the team. If that meant playing on special teams, I was totally fine with that. Playing for the Cowboys and getting a meaningful college degree, what could be better?
"I certainly didn't dream that I would be as successful as I've been," he continues. "But I will say that where I am today did not happen by chance. I put in the work to make myself better. It was a lot of hard work, but it paid off."
Wilson transformed himself from a 190-pound safety into a 240-pound "Mike" or middle linebacker. He began on the scout team as an outside linebacker, and in short order became a fixture in the middle.
"I think when we told him we were going to make him a mike linebacker, he didn't really know what that position was," laughs his head coach. "He never hesitated, he just kept maturing and getting better."
The longer Wilson patrolled the middle, the better he became. There is no substitute for experience.
"Having started for three years has been invaluable to me," he says. "Because I've been around so long everything is much clearer to me. I can feel something happening without even seeing it. It's instinct. You just know what's coming because you've seen it before. Experience is everything. I'm going to make mistakes for sure, but that experience cuts down on a lot of those."
Wilson is very proud of being a major component in the rebirth of Cowboy football.
"When I was on the scout team my freshman year and we were losing, it really sucked. That was a tough time, made tougher by my family situation. But I'm proud of myself for hanging in, and I'm proud to have been a part of what we have today. I'm also extremely proud of my teammates.
"We have undergone a complete culture change," Wilson continues. "The guys in our locker room today are all going in the same direction. There's no selfishness. It's amazing what Coach Bohl and his staff have done to change that culture. They made us believe in ourselves and what we could accomplish."
The overtime loss was one of the tougher ones for Wilson. "It really sucked, but as I thought about it, I was proud of our effort. I have been at Wyoming when we weren't even close to them, had no chance at them. I feel like we have come a long way, and I'm proud of that. We have taken a bunch of steps forward. The fact that we can even talk about being 15 points from an undefeated season, tells you where this program is right now.
"Our expectation level is very high, and right now all of our focus is on CSU, that's THE game and we are looking forward to it."
Logan admits that his five years at Wyoming have flown by. But here it is, his final game in War Memorial Stadium.
"I don't know how I'll feel when I'm getting ready to run onto that field for the last time. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. It will be a bittersweet time for all of the seniors. I know it will be quite a moment, all part of an amazing experience."
Wyoming has had a remarkable list of great linebackers through the years—a good number from Wyoming, like Jim Talich and Jim House and Bruce Mowry to name a few.
Galand Thaxton, another great one, and still heads the list for most career tackles.
But I have always said that Ken Fantetti (1975-1978), who played nine seasons in the NFL, was the most decisive tackler I have ever seen here. I'd have to say that Logan Wilson is right there with him. There's never a doubt when Logan makes the tackle. You don't have to look at his number to know who did it. The ball carrier goes down in a hurry. Arm tackles are not in his vocabulary.
I don't imagine Logan knows Fantetti. But being named in the same sentence with him is pretty special in my book, and Logan Wilson is a very special Cowboy.
