University of Wyoming Athletics

 
Criteria When Selecting Nominees
1. Include all individual UW Athletics Hall of Famers
2. Include as many All-Americans as possible
3. Represent all eras of Cowboy Football
4. All-Conference honorees


1950s-Early 60s
Chuck Lamson (1960-61) - 11%
Joe Mastrogiovanni (1953-55) - 35%
Jim Walden (1958-59) - 34%
Larry Zowada (1955-57) - 20%
 
 
Late 60s-80s
Craig Burnett (1986-87) - 13%
Phil Davis (1978-81) - 8%
Paul Toscano (1965-67) - 11%
Randy Welniak (1985-88) - 68%
 
 
1990s
Tom Corontzos (1988-91) - 14%
Joe Hughes (1992-93) - 11%
Jay Stoner (1997-00) - 30%
Josh Wallwork (1995-96) - 45%
 
 
2000s-2010s
Josh Allen (2015-17) - 78%
Casey Bramlet (2000-03) - 8%
Corey Bramlet (2002-05) - 2%
Brett Smith (2011-13) - 11%

FINAL VOTE 
Joe Mastrogiovanni
Randy Welniak
Josh Wallwork
Josh Allen



Place-kickers and Punters
 
Place-kickers Early Greats
Dan Christopulos (1976-78) - 16%
Jerry Depoyster (1965-67) - 25%
Sean Fleming (1988-91 - 53%
Bob Jacobs (1968-70) - 6%
 
 
Place-kickers Modern Era
Cooper Rothe (2016-19) - 71%
J.D. Wallum (2001) - 4%
Cory Wedel (1994-97) - 20%
Deric Yaussi (2002-05) - 5%
 
 
Punters Early Greats
Don Clayton (1975-78) - 15%
Rick Donnelly (1983-84) - 37%
Mike Smith (1976-79) - 13%
Jack Weil (1980-83) - 35%
 
Punters Modern Era
Adam Brooks (2004-05) - 7%
Brian Gragert (1992-95) - 14%
Tom Kilpatrick (1985-88) - 56%
Aron Langley (1996-98) - 23% 

Final Vote 
Sean Fleming 
Cooper Rothe
Rick Donnelly 
Tom Kilpatrick 


 

During Rothe's Wyoming career, he was one of three finalists for the 2018 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.  Also in 2018, Rothe was voted the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year, and he earned First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors.   Rothe was a starter on four bowl-eligible teams and played in three bowl games during his career at UW.  Wyoming posted an 8-5 record in 2019 and captured the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl Championship with a 38-17 win over Georgia State.  The Cowboys compiled a 6-6 record in 2018, earning bowl eligibility for the Wyoming Football program for the third consecutive season.  Rothe also was a leader of a team that  posted an 8-5 record in 2017 and captured a victory in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.  As a true freshman in 2016, Rothe scored 103 points as the Cowboys ended the season with an 8-6 record, a spot in the 2016 Mountain West Conference Championship Game and a berth in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.  He was part of a 2016 team that defeated two Top 25 teams and was named the National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) for one of those wins.

1950s-60s
Dick Campbell (1948-50) - 19%
Brent Engleright (1967-69) - 11%
Bill Hileman (1951-52) - 11%
Jim House (1966-68) - 59%
 
1970s
Frank Erzinger (1971-73) - 8%
Ken Fantetti (1975-78) - 56%
Tom Gorman (1968-70) - 9%
Paul Nunu (1974-76) - 27%
 
1980s-90s
Jim Eliopulos (1980-81) - 4%
Mike Schenbeck (1985-88) - 17%
Jim Talich (1994-97) - 16%
Galand Thaxton (1984-87) - 63% 
 
2000s-2010s
Leo Caires (1998-01) - 0%
Ward Dobbs (2005-08) - 4%
Brian Hendricks (2008-11) - 5% 
Logan Wilson (2016-19) - 91%

Final Vote
Jim House - 3%
Ken Fantetti - 6%
Galand Thaxton - 12%
Logan Wilson - 79%

Wilson's senior season he became recognized as one of the nation's top linebackers.  He was selected as one of six national finalists for the 2019 Butkus Award.  He earned First Team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus, Second Team All-American from USA Today and Third Team All-American from Associated Press.   He ended his career with 421 career tackles to rank No. 4 in both Wyoming school history and Mountain West Conference history.  His consistency throughout his career was evidenced by the fact that he became only the fourth player in Wyoming history to record three 100-tackle seasons in a career (105 in 2019, 103 in 2018 and 119 in 2017).     Wilson ranked No. 1 among active FBS players in the nation in 2019 in career solo tackles (253) and No. 2 in career total tackles (421).  He was the leader of a Wyoming defense that ranked No. 11 in the FBS in scoring defense (17.8 points per game allowed), No. 11 in rushing defense (107.1 yards per game allowed) and No. 6 in red-zone defense (68.9 percent).   He enjoyed his biggest games against Wyoming's toughest opponents, recording 13 tackles in a 37-31 win over Missouri and making 10 tackles in a 17-20 overtime loss at Boise State.  His stats for his senior season included: 105 total tackles, 62 solo tackles, four interceptions, 8.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble.    Wilson was named a team captain for his third consecutive year and joined former teammate Marcus Epps as Wyoming's only three-time team captains in the modern era of Cowboy Football.  Wilson started every game of his college career -- 52 consecutive starts from the first game of his redshirt freshman season to the final game of his senior season.  He earned Academic All-Mountain West honors for the fourth consecutive year in 2019.

1940-50s
Jim Crawford, (1954-56) - 37%
Walker "Sonny" Jones (1948-49) - 4% 
Eddie "Boom Boom" Talboom (1948-50) - 55%
John Watts (1954-56) - 4%
 
1960s-70s
Lawrence Gaines (1973-75) - 22%
Myron Hardeman (1977-78) - 6%
Jerry Hill (1958-60) - 21%
Jim Kiick (1965-67) - 51%
 
1980s
Gerald Abraham (1984-87) - 21%
Dabby Dawson (1988-89) - 51%
Walt Goffigan (1980-83) - 19%
Kevin Lowe (1981-84) - 9%
 
1990s-2010s
Marques Brigham (1995-98) - 1%
Ryan Christopherson (1991-94) - 15%
Brian Hill (2014-16) - 79%
Devin Moore (2005-08) - 5%

Final Vote
Eddie "Boom Boom" Talboom (1948-50) - 12%
Jim Kiick (1965-67) - 19%
Dabby Dawson (1988-89) - 4%
Brian Hill (2014-16) -65%

Brian Hill set virtually every career and single-season rushing record in University of Wyoming history during his college career, and he set those records in only three years of competition from 2014-16.  Hill holds the UW career records for: rushing yards (4,287), rushing touchdowns (35), rushing attempts (775) and average yards per game (112.8).  He also holds UW single-season records for: rushing yards (1,860 in 2016), rushing TDs (22 in 2016), rushing attempts (349 in 2016) and average yards per game (135.9 in 2015).  Hill also posted the second best single-season rushing season in school history (1,631 yards in 2015), and he holds the second and third best single-game rushing totals (289 yards vs. Nevada in 2016 and 281 yards at Fresno State in 2014).   Hill was named a Third Team All-American by College Sports Madness in 2016, and he earned First Team All-MW honors in 2016.  Hill was one of 10 semifinalists for the 2016 Doak Walker Award.  He helped lead Wyoming to the 2016 Mountain West Mountain Division title, earning Wyoming the right to host the 2016 MW Football Championship Game as the highest ranked team in the Mountain West.  The Cowboys also earned a berth in the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.    After declaring for the NFL Draft following his junior season of 2016, Hill was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

1960s-70s
Aaron Kyle (1972-75) - 37%
Dick Speights (1965-67) - 15%
Fritz Turner (1971-73) - 5%
Vic Washington (1966-67) - 43%
 
1980s-90s
Eric Coleman (1985-88) - 22%
Je'Ney Jackson (1994-97) - 31%
Lee Vaughn (1993-96) - 38%
Paul Wallace (1989-92) - 9%
 
2000s
Chris Dixon (2002-03), 2003 Honorable Mention All-MW - 5%
Lamar James (2000-01), 2000 Honorable Mention All-MW - 8%
Derrick Martin (2003-05), 2004 Second Team All-MW - 60%
Julius Stinson (2004-07), 2007 First Team All-MW - 27%
 
2010s
Blair Burns (2011-14) -  5%
Rico Gafford (2016-17) - 19%
Tashaun Gipson (2008-11) - 63%
Tyler Hall (2016-19) - 13%

Final Vote 
Vic Washington (1966-67) - 9%
Lee Vaughn (1993-96) - 12%
Derrick Martin (2003-05) - 17%
Tashaun Gipson (2008-11) - 62%

Tashaun Gipson earned Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior at Wyoming in 2011.  He concluded his college career having started every game from the very first game of his freshman season -- 50 consecutive starts.  Gipson never missed a start or a game in his four-year career.  He had three interceptions as a senior, ranking him No. 4 in the Mountain West and No. 65 in the NCAA.  He had five pass breakups to go with his three interceptions, ranking him No. 4 in the league in passes defended.  He ended his Wyoming career with nine career interceptions, which still ranks him No. 6 on the Wyoming career interception list.    As a senior, he was third on the team and No. 9 in the MW in tackles, with 95.  He led UW in solo tackles, with 72.  Gipson concluded his Wyoming career with 250 career tackles.    He will be entering his ninth NFL season in 2020, having signed with the Chicago Bears in the offseason.  He has started 104 of 112 games played over the past eight NFL seasons, and he has intercepted 23 passes in his professional career.  He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2014 while playing for the Cleveland Browns.

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1950s-Early 1980s
Gene Huey (1966-68) - 39%
Jerry Marion (1964-66) - 3%
Steve Martinez (1979-82) - 14%
Dewey McConnell (1949-51) - 44%
 
End of the WAC Era
Marcus Harris (1993-96) - 57%
Wendell Montgomery (1996-99) - 6%
Anthony Sargent (1986-87) - 4%
Ryan Yarborough (1990-93) - 33%
 
Beginning of Mountain West Era
Jovon Bouknight (2002-05) - 46%
Malcom Floyd (2000-03) - 44%
Michael Ford (2004-07) - 5%
Ryan McGuffey (2000-03) - 5%
 
Recent Cowboys
Tanner Gentry (2013-16) - 71%
Robert Herron (2010-13) - 7%
Chris McNeill (2009-12) - 15%
Dominic Rufran (2011-14) - 7%

Final Vote
Marcus Harris (1993-96) 
Jovon Bouknight (2002-05)
Dewey McConnell (1949-51)
Tanner Gentry (2013-16) 


 

Marcus Harris ended his college football career as the NCAA’s all-time career leader in total receiving yards, with 4,518.  He still ranks No. 5 all-time in FBS history.  Harris was the first wide receiver in FBS history to post three consecutive seasons of 1,400 yards receiving.  Harris led the nation in receiving yards as a sophomore in 1994 (1,431 yards), ranked second in 1995 (1,423) and again led the nation as a senior in 1996 (1,650).  He holds the Wyoming school records for career receiving yards (4,518), single-season yards (1,650) and single-game yards (260 vs. Fresno State in ‘94).  He also holds the UW records for career receptions (259), single-season receptions (109) and single-game receptions (16 vs. Iowa State and Colorado State both in ‘96).    Harris was named a First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 1995 and was a Consensus All-American in 1996.  He also won the prestigious Biletnikoff Award in 1996 and finished No. 9 in voting for the 1996 Heisman Trophy.  The Biletnikoff recognizes college football’s outstanding receiver each season.  Harris was named First Team All-WAC in 1994, ‘95 and ‘96 and was the WAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year in ‘96.  He was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.       Not only did Harris accomplish great things individually at Wyoming, but he was part of a 1996 team that posted a 10-2 record, led the nation in passing offense (359.2 yards per game), had the nation’s longest winning streak (12 games) that dated back to the end of the ‘95 season and ended the season ranked No. 22 in both national polls.

 


Safeties
1950s-1970s
Mike Dennis (1978-79) - 25%
Al Duyn (1972-74) - 7%
Kevin McClain (1974-76) - 24%
Selmer Pederson (1949-51) - 44%
 
End of the WAC Era
Pete Benedetti (1982-85) - 12% 
Brian  Lee (1994-97) - 62%
Al Rich (1997-01) - 13%
John Salley (1979-82) - 12%
 
Beginning of the Mountain West
Matt Lehning (1998-99) - 4%
Chris Prosinski (2007-10) -  50%
Luke Ruff (2009-12) - 4%
John Wendling (2003-06) - 42% 
 
Recent Cowboys
Marqueston Huff (2010-13) - 3%
Marcus Epps (2015-18) - 12%
Alijah Halliburton (2016-19) - 9%
Andrew Wingard (2015-18) - 76%

Final Vote
Andrew Wingard - 76%
Chris Prosinski - 13%
Brian Lee - 9%
Selmer Pederson - 2%

Andrew Wingard was recognized as one of the most outstanding defensive backs in college football and one of the greatest football players in University of Wyoming history in 2018.  Wingard concluded his college career with 454 career tackles, ranking him No. 20 in NCAA history in tackles.  He also tied for the Mountain West Conference career tackle record and ranks No. 2 on the Wyoming career tackle list.    He averaged 8.90 tackles per game as a collegian, which ranked him No. 6 among all active players at the FBS level in 2018 in career tackles.  His 5.37 solo tackles per game ranked No. 4 among active FBS players in 2018, and his 10 career interceptions ranked him No. 9 among active FBS players in 2018.    Wingard earned First Team All-Mountain West Conference honors for the third consecutive season.  He was invited to and participated in the 2019 East-West Shrine Game and the 2019 NFL Draft Combine.  Wingard helped lead the Wyoming Cowboys to their third consecutive bowl eligible season.  His Wyoming defense ranked No. 19 in the nation in total defense in 2018 (326.2 yards per game), No. 16 in the NCAA in fewest opponent first downs allowed (223), No. 25 in rushing defense (129.5 yards per game), No. 28 in scoring defense (22.0 points allowed per game) and No. 32 in pass defense (196.7 yards per game).  Prior to his senior season, he was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Watch List -- all three for the second consecutive year.  Wingard is one of only four players in Wyoming history to record three 100-tackle seasons (122 in 2015, 131 in 2016 and 114 in 2017).

1960s-1970s
Darryl Alleman (1964-65) -14%
George Anderson (1967-69) - 18%
Mack Balls (1961-63) - 27%
Walter Howard (1974, 1976-77) - 41%

1980s
Bill Hoffman (1986-87) - 2%
Jay Novacek (1982-84) - 92%
James Williams (1980-82) - 3%
Gordie Wood (1987-90) - 3%

1990s
Julian Hooker (1994, 1997-98) - 28%
Mike Jones (1991-93) - 32%
Greg Kuhn (1994, 1996) - 32%
Matt Swenson (1989-92) - 8%
 
2000s-2010s
Wade Betschart (2004-07) - 9%
Josh Harshman, (2015-17, 2019) - 11%
Jacob Hollister (2014-16) - 75%
John Wadkowski (2004-05) - 5%

Final Vote
Mike Jones - 4%
Jay Novacek - 69%
Jacob Hollister - 25%
Walter Howard - 2%

Jay Novacek was the NCAA’s Consensus All-America tight end in 1984, meaning he was selected to more First Team All-America teams than any other tight end in the country for that season.  Novacek still holds the NCAA record for average yards gained per reception by a tight end in a single season.  In 1984, he averaged 22.6 yards per reception to set that NCAA record as he caught 33 passes for 745 yards.  He also earned First Team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1984.  Novacek was one of 10 members in the inaugural UW Athletics Hall of Fame class in 1993.  In 2008, he was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame.    He went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL where he was a starter on Super Bowl Championship teams following the 1992, ‘93 and ‘95 seasons.  He was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons from 1991-95.    Not only was Novacek a football All-American at Wyoming, but he also earned All-America honors in track and field, placing fourth in the decathlon at the 1984 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.  To this day, Novacek still holds the University of Wyoming school record for points scored in the decathlon (7,762 points).  He also still ranks No. 2 on the UW Top 10 list in the Indoor pole vault (16’ 3”) and No. 4 in the outdoor pole vault (16’ 4”).

Oldest vs. Youngest
Len Kuczewski (1957-59) - 17%
Bill Levine (1961, 1963-64) - 4%
Ken Sturman (1937-39) - 6%
Eddie Yarbrough (2012-15) - 73%
 
1960s
Ron “Pedro” Billingsley (1964-66) - 25%
Mike Dirks (1965-67) - 45%
Jerry Durling (1965-66) - 15%
Larry Nels (1967-69) - 15%
 
1970s and 1980s
Chuck Bradford (1979-80) - 7%
Mitch Donahue (1987-90) - 75%
David Edeen (1986-88) - 9%
Pat Rabold (1984, 1986-88) - 9%
 
1990s-2010s
Patrick Chukwurah (1997-2000) - 54%
John Fletcher (2006-09) - 10%
Zach Morris (2001-04) - 4%
Mike Purcell (2009-12) - 32%

Final Vote 
Eddie Yarbrough (2012-15) - 35%
Mike Dirks (1965-1967) - 8%
Mitch Donahue (1987-90) - 41%
Patrick Chukwurah (1997-2000) - 16%


 

The 1989 and 1990 WAC Defensive Player of the Year, Mitch Donahue became the greatest defensive end in Wyoming history. He was named first-team All-American by the Football Writer’s Association, The Sporting News, and the National Football League Draft Report. As a senior, he finished fourth in the prestigious Outland Trophy Award balloting. During his senior year the two-time WAC Defensive Player of the Week led the nation in sacks with 22. The four time All-WAC selection owns the Wyoming record for most career sacks with 48, and is in the top ten in career tackles. Donahue was drafted in the 4th round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played for both the 49ers and the Denver Broncos during his professional career.

 
Pre-1950s and 1950s
Vince Guinta (1954-56) - 20%
C.T. Hewgley (1949-50) - 25%
John Kosich (1946-49) - 25%
Doug Reeves (1949-51) - 30%
 
1960s and 1970s
Dennis Baker (1975-77) - 31%
Nick Bebout (1970-72) - 32%
Mike LaHood (1965-67) - 26%
Tommy Tucker (1967-69) - 11%
 
1980s
Gary Crum (1979-81) - 43%
Joe DiGiorgio (1979-82) - 9%
Joe Ramunno (1981-84) - 15%
Grant Salisbury (1986-88) - 33%
 
1990s-2010s
Adam Goldberg (1999-02) -16%
Jay Korth (1994-97) - 4%
Chase (2013-16) - 61%
Steve Scifres (1993-96) - 19%

Final Vote
Doug Reeves (1949-51) - 5%
Nick Bebout (1970-72) - 13%
Gary Crum (1979-81) - 13%
Chase Roullier (2013-16) - 69%


 

Roullier became the first Wyoming offensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft since Steve Scifres was chosen in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1997 NFL Draft.  Roullier was named to the 2016 USA Today Sports Second Team All-America squad as a center, making him one of only 10 offensive linemen in the nation selected to the USA Today All-America First and Second Teams for 2016.  He was voted a First Team All-Mountain West selection as a senior in voting by conference head coaches and media.   Roullier earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at UW in December 2016.  He was a four-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference selection in 2013, ’14, ‘15 and ‘16.  In the fall of 2016, he was named one of the national semifinalists for the 2016 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy.  The Campbell Trophy is recognized as college football’s premier scholar-athlete award.  He was also named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in the spring of 2017.   Roullier was also selected to both the Outland Trophy Award Watch List and the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List in 2016.  He was invited to and played in the 2016 East-West Shrine Game, and was invited to and participated in the 2017 NFL Draft Combine. The Savage, Minn., native played in 46 career games and started 40 during his Wyoming career.  He was voted a team captain by his teammates both his junior and senior seasons.