Theo Ratliff is one of the most remarkable individuals I've ever known. 

He was a skinny 6-10 kid from Demopolis, Ala., when he came to Wyoming as an impressive signing for Coach Benny Dees and his staff back in 1992. I always thought of him as quiet and reserved, a listener, not a talker.  He left an impressive legacy at Wyoming, but what he has accomplished since is remarkable.  

I had the good fortune of visiting with him by phone the other day, and it was not only fun to catch up, but inspirational as well.

I always enjoy talking to former student-athletes and hearing their stories.  

The Theo Ratliff story is one of the best.

Prompting my call was to congratulate him on graduating from the University of Wyoming last week.

Twenty six years after he left Wyoming Theo earned his degree!

Highly successful with numerous business ventures, why go to the trouble of finishing?  That's easy, because he promised his mother, Lamillia, and his family that he would get that done.  

He probably would have earned it much sooner, but life got in the way.  Like a 16-year career in the NBA or Ratliff Enterprises, his investment company that is involved in all kinds of ventures, or like Friends of Theo Ratliff, the organization that helps children and the elderly alike in his hometown, or his lovely family, beautiful wife, Kristina, and their six children, Alexis, Adonis, Stacia, Yasmeen, Sasha and Darius.  He's fashioned a terrific life without it, but he wanted to finish what he started.

When Theo left Wyoming in 1995, he was "at least" 30 hours short of his degree.  Through his NBA and business careers he chipped away at it.  It was something he always wanted to accomplish.

"I'd jump in and jump out," he says about the degree pursuit.  "But I didn't take the time to just get it done. "I was determined to finish," he says.  "It was important to me, my mom and my family.  "I promised my mom I would, and I wanted to be an example to my kids to finish what you start.  It feels so good to have it.  It would have been no good not to have it."

His children are accomplishing great things as well.  One is in law school, one is playing volleyball at Ole Miss, for example.

So he started at Wyoming in 1991-92, and 28 years later he has graduated from the University of Wyoming.  Not many have that kind of dedication.

But, then, Theo is a very special individual.

I can't help it, but every time I have the opportunity to talk with him I want to talk about the NBA.

While it was a major part of his life, it certainly hasn't defined him.  It was a vehicle for opportunity.

His investment arm is involved in many businesses from high tech to franchising.

But it's his efforts in Demopolis that has been extra special to him.

"We help facilitate programing from youngsters to the elderly.  We work with Demopolis' parks and recreations department.  It is extremely rewarding.  So many kids didn't have a place to go so we built an activities center.  At first everyone came because it had air conditioning," he chuckles, "but now it is their place.  It has a gymnasium, we have an area with available computers which I think has been especially helpful to some of the elderly.  It has helped them communicate.   My mom has been great in helping to facilitate things there."

Obviously Theo never dreamed he would be in the League for as long as he was.

"I'm proud of my growth from playing at Wyoming to being in the league as long as I was. I spent a lot of time listening, listening to the veterans, especially those guys who were about to retire.  They gave me so much knowledge.  I was always listening and enjoying their stories.

"I think I averaged like 1.5 points a game in my first year," he laughs, "so offense wasn't going to keep me in the league.  But the veterans, guys like Joe Dumars and Otis Thorpe, helped make me understand the concept of filling a role. Both of those guys had been in the league 15 or 16 years. They helped me concentrate on the special tools I did have. They always told me to understand what you are good at, and do it great.

"I was faster than most guys at my position, and I could block shots.  That was my role. Once you find that role, you can be in the league for a long time."

Theo realized that he could have a career in pro basketball when he was traded to Philadelphia a couple of seasons into his NBA experience.  

"That's when I knew I could have a career," he says.  "The veterans in Detroit groomed me and taught me a lot of lessons.  But I could see when I was traded to the 76ers that my opportunity had come and it was time to step it up.  The organization was making changes, they were making a commitment.  I could play a part in where they wanted to go.

"They started with the coach.  They hired Larry Brown who was the best coach I ever had.  He was a great teacher with a special ability to see things that others didn't.  He was extremely detail-oriented.  He slowed the game down for us.  He had special instincts, and I picked up a lot of my style from him."

During his last NBA season Ratliff played for six different teams.  "I was ready to retire," he says, "I knew the time had come.  "While they were so supportive, I felt it was getting tougher on the family, plus the wear and tear on the body was catching up with me. Things weren't healing like they used to." 

While he was a well-respected player in the league, Ratliff was even more respected as a member of the board of the players' union.  "I was on the board for 13 years and it was a very rewarding experience.  I got to know (commissioners) David Stern and Adam Silver on a personal level, as well as a lot of the owners.  I had the opportunity to work with great people, owners and players alike.  I think we got some things accomplished that really helped the players, I'm proud of that."

What about his time at Wyoming?  "I'll never forget the teammates, the people and the fans at Wyoming.  I had so many good times with the guys, and that's with my teammates and the football guys too. I have great memories of those days, clowning around with each other. It was a great experience."

He remains in touch with a lot more of his college mates than guys in the NBA.  "We come and go too much in the NBA," he says. "I stay in touch with Wyoming guys like Reggie Slater (we talk a lot), Brian Rewers, Quinn Higgins, and Donald Phillips."  He was recruited by Benny Dees' staff, and finished his career playing for Joby Wright, whom he remains in contact regarding a basketball league in Africa.  "Joby has done a lot of work putting together a league in that country and I have been helping him when I can," Theo says.

The name Theo Ratliff is sprinkled throughout the Wyoming record book.  He ended his career with 1,142 points, 425 block shots and 655 rebounds.  The blocked shots are a school record.  He averaged 5.1 blocked shots per game for his career!  Twice he blocked 11 shots in a game. His Wyoming legacy is entrenched in Cowboy lore.

I had the opportunity to enjoy his career at Wyoming and follow him in the NBA, all the while not really knowing the depth of this man.  He's one of the special ones, I'm proud he went to Wyoming, and I'm proud to know him.